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BOOK    287.6.B29ZH   c.  1 

HENKLE    #    LIFE    OF    HENRY    BIDLEMAN 

BASCOM 


3   T1S3   ODovmoi   t, 


Date  Due 

Demco  293-5 

Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Boston  Library  Consortium  IVIember  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/lifeofhenrybidle1896henk 


6X 

LIFE  y(^ 


HENRY  B1DLEMAN  BASCOM,  D.D.,  LL.I), 

LATE  BISHOP  OF  THK  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH,  SOUTH 


BY  REV.  M.  M.  HENKLE,  D.D. 


Nashville,  Tenn.: 

Publishing  House  op  the  M.  E.  Church,  South. 

Barbee  &  Smith,  Agents, 


Entered,    according  to   Act   of  Cougresa,    in    the   year   1854,   by 

M.    M.    HENKLE, 

In  the   Clerk's  Office,  for   the   Middle   District   of  Teuuessee. 


4 


i  e  H  t  a  t  i  0  n 


REV.     BISHOPS     SOULE, 

ANDREW, 

AND     PAINE: 

Rev.  and  Honored  Brethren: 

Since  through  your  influence,  in  a  greai 
measure,  I  was  induced  to  resume  the  difficult  task  of  writing 
the  life  of  your  late  distinguished  episcopal  colleague,  after  I  had 
abandoned  the  undertaking,  it  seems  most  proper  that  I  should 
commend  to  your  patronage  and  indulgence  the  work  which  has 
come  into  existence  through  the  influence  of  your  counsel.  This 
is  done  as  a  tribute  of  respect  personally  and  officially^  and  espe- 
cially for  the  confidence  indicated  by  your  willingness  to  intrust 
so  important  and  difficult  a  work  to  my  hands ;  and  with  the 
earnest  hope  that  you  may  neither  find  your  confidence  mis- 
placed, nor  the  glory  of  your  eminent  colleague's  well-earned 
fame  tarnished  or  compromitted  by  the  imperfect  performance 
of  the   work  assigned   to 

Your  unworthy  brother, 

M.  M.  HENKLR 


PREFACE 


Had  Dr.  Bascom  left  a  record  of  tlie  principal  incidents  of  his 
eventful  life,  the  task  of  his  biographer  had  been  comparatively  easy, 
and  his  posthumous  fame  might  have  been  well  guarded ;  but  as  he 
Kept  no  diary,  —  except  during  two  or  three  brief  periods, — no  copies 
of  the  numerous  letters  written  by  himself,  and  acted  as  if  he  intended 
to  prevent  his  biography  from  being  written,  rather  than  to  afford 
any  facilities  for  the  compilation  of  his  personal  history,  his  biogra- 
pher has  been  left  to  gather  up  material  for  the  work,  from 
miscellaneous  sources,  and  by  piece-meal ;  but  chiefly  he  has  been 
compelled  to  depend  on  his  own  personal  knowledge  and  recollection 
of  the  events  of  Dr.  Bascom's  life.  This  state  of  things  ha?'  rendered 
the  execution  of  the  work  difficult,  and  the  work  itself,  doubtless,  in 
some  degree,  imperfect.  There  were  in  the  life  of  Bascom,  numerous 
incidents  of  deeply  interesting  character,  which  would  have  greatly 
enriched  his  biography;  but  as  the  knowledge  of  them  was  scattered 
throughout  the  country,  and  in  the  keeping  of  persons  who  did  not 
choose  to  furnish  them  at  the  call  of  his  widow  and  his  biographer, 
the  work  had  to  proceed  with  such  material  as  could  be  rendered 
available.  But  even  under  these  circumstances  of  disadvantage, 
there  has  been  collected  such  a  fund  of  valuable  matter  respecting 
the  life  and  character  of  this  great  man,  as  ought  not  to  be  lost. 

Dr.  Bascom  was   a  character,  —  original,  distinct,  sui  generis, 
exhibiting  points  of  imperfection,  of  course,  but  at  the  same  time, 
possessing   many  and   extraordinary  excellencies  ;  —  a  man  whose 
biography  ought  to  be  given  to  the  world,  for  the  gratification  of  his 
aumerous  friends,  and  the  profiting  all  who  read.     In  the  wonderful 


Vi  PREFACE. 

powers  and  achievements  of  his  great  intellect,  he  is  an  object  of 

admiration   and   astonishment ;   and   in  his  untiring  industry  and 

perseverance  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge,  —  in  his  burning  zeal  and 

devotion  to  the  cause  of  God,  —  in  his  active  benevolence,  his  filial 

affection,  and  his  pious  and  confiding  trust  in  the  providence  of  God, 

he  presents  an  example  worthy  of  universal  imitation.     If  he  had 

faults,  obstinate  persistence  in  the  wrong  was  not  one  of  them,  fot 

though  he  was  a  giant  in  intellect,  he  was  a  child  in  docility  and 

readiness  to  receive  correction  from  his  friends. 

That  the  portrait  herein  given  of  this  prince  in  Israel  is  imperfect, 

is  readily  admitted,  not  only  from  the  paucity  of  material,  but  the 

lack  of  ability  on  the  part  of  the  biographer,  —  for  only  a  mind  like 

Bascom's  could  accurately  take  the  measure  of  his  greatness :  and 

yet,  we  have  good  hope  that  this  volume  may  prove  both  interesting 

and  useful  to  the  reader.     And  that  it  may,  is  the  earnest  wish  and 

fervent  prayer  of 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.—  Embracing  the  period  from  hu  Birth  to  his  Converstcn. 
Birth  and  Parentage  —  Paternal  Ancestry  —  His  Mother  and  her  Ancestors  - 
Brothers  and  Sisters  —  His  own  Account  of  his  Early  Years —  Goes  to  School  - 
Takes  his  Relative's  name,  and  is  sent  hy  him  to  School  away  from  home  — 
Returns  home  and  goes  to  his  last  School  —  His  Parents  remove  to  the  Frontiei 
in  Western  New  York  —  His  Conversion,  and  the  question  of  its  date  settled,     11 

CHAPTER  II.—  Frotn  his  Conversion  to  his  Settlement  in  Ohio. 
Wild  State  of  the  country,  and  want  of  Advantages  —  Enters  into  an  Arrange- 
ment with  Mr.  Gilniore  to  Work  and  Study  with  him  —  Their  Journey  ovei 
the  Mountains.  Incidents  and  Sufferings  —  Holds  Religious  Meetings  —  Henry 
begins  to  Speak  in  Public,  and  astonishes  the  people  —  DifBculties  and  Opposi 
tion  —  Rapid  Improvement  —  Separates  from  Mr.  Gilmore  and  returns  home  — 
Diligence  in  cultivating  his  Mind —  Removal  to  Kentucky,  and  then  to  Ohio  — 
Labors  on  the  Farm,  and  for  means  of  entering  the  Ministry,      -      -      -      21 

CHAPTER  III.—  Licensed  to  Preach. 
first  Meeting  of  the  Ohio  Conference  —  Makes  fence  rails  to  buy  a  horse  —  Goes 
to  Maysville  to  meet  the  Preachers  —  Exhorts — Rev.  W.  McMahan's  Account 
of  his  Interview  with  young  Bascom  —  Goes  to  Conference  at  t'hillicothe  —  la 
refused  Entertainment,  but  provided  for  by  Mr.  McMahan —  Enjoyments  and 
Benefits  of  the  Conference  —  Boundaries  of  Conferences,  and  State  of  the  Work 
at  that  date  —  Continued  Preparation  for  the  Ministry  —  Is  Licensed  to  Preach, 
February.  1813 —  Is  appointed  to  labor  on  Brush  Creek  circuit —  His  .\ccouut 
of  the  Work  on  this  circuit,       ..---.---..       33 

CHAPTER  IV.  —  Admission  into  the  Itinerancy.,  and  First  Year  of  Travel. 
Ib  admitted  into  the  Itinerancy,  and  appointed  to  Deer  Creek  circuit — Extent 
of  his  work  —  Studious   Habits  —  Great  Improvement — Advantages  enjoyed 
about  Chillicothe  —  Extract  from  his  Diary  —  Reflections  on  his  Habits  and 
Character  —  Sickness  —  End  of  the  Year, 42 

CHAPTER  V.  —  Second  Year  —  Travel  in  the  Mountains. 
Improvement  during  the  Year  —  Faithful  Service —  Popular  with  the  Public,  but 
the  Reverse  with  Old  Members  —  Cause  of  the  latter  —  Cold  receptiDU  at 
Conference  —  Objections  to  and  Predictions  concerning  him  —  Character  Passed 
—  Appointed  to  Guyandotte  circuit  in  Western  Virginia — Goes  to  his  Work  — 
Nature  and  Extent  of  it —  Hair  breadth  Escape  from  a  Panther  —  Gets  lost  —  A 
Night  in  the  Mountain  —  Illness — Perilous  Adventure  with  a  Bear — Chased 
by  Wolves  —  Misunderstanding  and  Reconciliation,  showing  Bascom's  true 
character, -62 

CHAPTER  VI.  —  Third  Year,  and  Last  Year  in  Ohio. 
Close  of  the  Year  —  Account  of  his  labors  and  compensation  —  His  Resolution 
to  go  on  in  liis  work  —  Inducements  to  Desist  —  Goes  to  Conference  —  Refused 
admission  into  full  connection  —  His  feelings  on  the  Occasion  —  Encouraged 
by  his  Old  Friend —  Is  granted  a  Third  Year  of  Probation,  and  agrees  to  take 
Work — Appointed  to  Mad  River  circuit — Death  of  his  Mother  —  Character 
of  his  circuit  —  First  Acquaintance  of  the  Writer  with  him  —  First  Sermon 
heard — Preaches  at  Camp  Meeting — The  Writer  Awakened  —  Thrilling  Ad- 
venture with  the  Indians  —  Illness,  and  Dangerous  Experiment  —  Pecuniary 
Embarrassments, 8<; 


Vm  CONTENTS. 

CH.XVT'EKY'lJ.  —  Eynbracnig  his  First  Years  in  Tennessee  Conference. 
iSnd  of  the  Year — lucreased  Keputation,  but  couiplaiued  of  about  Dres^ — 
Anecdote  —  The  Round  Coat  —  Objected  to  before  Conference  —  Ca,«e  Debated — 
I'roposes  withdrawing  from  Conference  —  Interposition  of  the  Bishop  —  Transfer 
to  Tennessee  Conference  —  Stationed  at  Danville  —  Character  of  the  VVork  — 
His  Health  fails  —  Attends  Springs  —  Associations  at  Harrodsburg  —  Conference 
at  Franklin,  Tennessee —  Appointed  to  Danville  and  Madison  with  \Vm  Adam* 

—  Character  of  countr}'  and  people — Reproof  to  the  Sleeper  and  Talkers' 
Reproof — Bascoui  waylaid  by  the  Offended  —  His  daring  conduct  on  the 
occasion  —  First  Acquaintance  with  Mr.  Clay  —  Intimacy  of  their  Friendship 

—  Bascom's  interposition  in  the  Clay  and  Randolph  Duel — Mr.  Clay's  denial 
of  the  Report  of  his  having  educated  Bascom  —  Attends  Conference  at  Nashville 

—  His  Preaching  —  A  Lady's  Account  of  it, 97 

CHAPTER  y 111.  — Beginning  of  his  Difficulties  about  Slavery. 

Continued  Opposition  to  him  in  Conference — Strengthened  by  his  Opposition  to 

the  Anti-Slavery  Party  —  Timely  Interposition  of  his  old  friend  McMahan  — 

Ele-'ited  to  Elder's  orders  —  Stationed  in  l.,ouisville,  Ky.  —  Difficulties  attending 

his  Administration, .......       iiQ 

CHAPTER  IX.  —  niJficuUies  with  the  Slavery  Law. 

Conference  of  1819  at  Nashville  —  Historical  Sketch  of  Slavery  l,aw-  -Resolves 

and  Action  of  the  Tennessee  Conference — Case  of  Dr.  Taylor  —  His  Rejection 

—  Protest  of  Minority,  and  Opposition  of  Majority  —  Bishops  WcKendree  and 
George  address  tlie  Conference  in  opposition  to  the  Majority  —  Minority  left 
out  of  Delegation  to  General  Conference  —  They  address  the  General  Conference 

—  ]{epeal  by  General  (!onference  of  Rule  of  Ihl'i — Similarity  of  Miis  Contro- 
versy to  that  of  1844 — Bascom  returned  to  Louisville  —  Serious  Difficulties  in 
the  Society,  Trials,  Expulsions.  &c. —  Charged  with  Mal-Adininistratiou,  but 
Presiding  Elder  declined  taking  it  up— Both  he  and  Presiding  Elder  charged 
at  next  Annual  Conferenci;  —  The  latter  censured  —  Testimonial  of  citizens  in 
Bascom's  favor  —  Conference  of  1820  .it,  llopkinsville  —  Amusing  Anecdote  of 
Bascom,      ..--.-----..---      -       114 

CHAPTER  X. 
Kentuclcy  Conference  formed,  and  Bascom  falls  into  it  —  Sent  (o  Madison  circuit 

—  Supposed  Object  —  His  quiet  Submission  —  A  Turkey  shot  during  Preaching 

—  Storm  on  the  Mountain  —  Shamed  bj'  the  daring  of  the  Mountain  *iirls  — 
His  Sister  dies  and  bequeaths  him  the  care  of  her  Infant  Daughters  —  Next 
Year  labors  on  Hinkston  circuit^  Resolves  to  leave  the  Conference — Visits  Ohio 
and  preaches — Transferred,  and  appointed  to  Brush  Creek,      -      -      -      126 

CHAPTER  XI.—  Church  Re/or7n,  Etc. 
First  conversation  on  that  Subject  —  History  of  the'*  Suspended  Resolutions" 

—  Bascom's  views  and  feelings —  Sent  to  Steuben%ille  station  —  Elected  Chap- 
lain to  Congress,      --. 131 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Bascom's  debut  before  Congress  —  Causes  of  comparative  Failure  —  Prejudices 
of  Methodists  against  him  —  Preaches  in  the  country  to  the  Blacks  —  Amusing 
Incident  —  Visits  Baltimore,  but  does  not  Preach  —  Attends  a  \Vedding.  and 
takes  a  firm  stand  against  Plays — Takes  passage  for  the  West  —  Hindered  by 
sickness  of  his  Friend,  whom  he  attends  —  Attends  a  Gamp  Meeting  near 
Annapolis,  and  preaches  like  himself — Visits  Annapolis  and  Baltimore  —  His 
preaching  in  Baltimore  —  Visits  Great  Falls  Camp  Meeting  —  Visits  Baltimore 
Camp  —  His  great  Sermon  there  —  Description  of  it  by  a  Lady  —  Frederick 
Camp  —  His  Preaching  —  Bishop  Waugh's  account  of,      -      -      -      -      137 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Mr.  Bascom  returns  to  Baltimore  —  Goes  to  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland  to  Camp 
Meeting  —  Invited  to  Philadelphia  —  Witnesses  reception  of  La  Fayette  —  Goes 
to  Philadelphia — Manner  of  making  the  Journey  —  Grossing  the  Peninsula  — 
Bascom  and  Summerfield  placed  before  the  public  as  Competitors,  against  their 
Wishes  —  They  meet,  and  hear  each  other  preach  —  Notice  of  them  by  the 
Press — Comparison   of    their   Talents  —  Unpleasant   misunderstanding,   and 


CONTENTS.  IX 

Reconciliation — A  Messenerer  sent  to  Virin^  Mr  Bascom  again  to  Eastern  Shore 
of  Maryland  —  He  goes,  and  returns  to  IJaltimore  in  November — 'I ravels  through 
the  country,  Preaching  —  Reception  of  La  Fayette  at  Annapolis  —  Incidents 
attending  it  —  Baseoni  preaches  to  the  Marquis  and  Suife  —  His  texr,  and  sketch 
of  his  Sermon  —  Preaches  at  York,  Carlisle,  Harrishurg,  &c.  —  Notices  by 
the  Press  —  Poetic  comparison  of  Bascom  and  Summerfield,  by  a  Lady,         155 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Mr.  Bascom  finishes  his  Pennsylvania  tour  —  Returns  to  Baltimore,  and  in  March 
goes  to  his  stp^tion  in  Pittsburg  —  Is  cordially  received  —  ("omplimentary 
Newspaper  noMce  —  Unitarian  reply  to  that  notice  —  His  habit  of  visiting  the 
Sick  —  An  instance  of  it  —  Notice  of  his  preaching  in  Brownsville  —  At  the 
Conference  of  1825  appointed  Conference  Missionary  —  Object  of  that  Appoint- 
ment—  Incidents  showing  the  strength  of  his  Friendship,     -  -      •      176 

CHAPTER  XV.  — Embracing  the  period  of  his  connection  with  Madison  College.. 

After  traveling  through  the  West,  goes  East  —  Visits  the  scenes  of  his  former 
labors — Goes  to  New  York — Reception  and  success  there — lieturns  to  tlio 
Wesr.  and  is  appointed  to  Uniontown  —  Object  of  the  Appointment  —  Sets  about 
building  up  Madi.'-on  College  —  Is  appointed  President  and  I'rofe.s.-or  of  Moral 
and  Mental  Science —  Delivers  an  Inauirural  Address  —  Sketch  of  that  Address 
—  Applies,  with  final  success,  for  Legislarive  aid  —  Project  of  a  Chair  of  Agri- 
culture —  Corresponds  with  Madison.  Carroll.  Marshall,  Clay,  Clinron,  and 
Adams  on  the  subject —  His  efforts  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  College — Imper- 
fect Success,  and  the  causes  of  it  —  Resigns  the  Presidency  —  Approbatory  vote 
of  the  Conference  on  the  occasion, -      .       -       -'    183 

CHAPTER  XNl.  — Embracing  his  Agency  of  the  Colonization  Society. 

Mr.  Bascom  is  appointed  Agent  of  the  .American  Colonization  Society  —  His  Views 

on  that  Subject  —  Journal  of  his  first  tour  on  that  Mission — Popularity  and 

Success  —  Notices  of  the  Press  —  Preached  much  while  in  the  Agency  —  Large 

report  of  one  of  his  Sermons  —  Perilous  Stage  Coach  Accident,    -      -      -      204 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Mr.  Bascom  elected  Profes.sor  of  Moral  Science  and  Belles-Lettres  in  Augusta 
College — Still  devotes  a  portion  of  his  time  to  the  Agency — Transferred  to 
Kentucky  Conference,  and  election  to  General  Conference  of  1832  —  Made 
Chairman  of  Committee  on  Temperance  —  Produces  a  Report  of  great  power  — 

—  Concluding  passage  of  it  given  —  A  Peculiarity  in  Bascom's  mind  noticed  — 
Attempts  to  account  for  it — .\flliction  and  Death  of  his  Father  —  Descriptive 
account  of  that  event  —  Bascom's  own  account  of  it,  as  given  to  Mr.  Bruce,     230 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

He  takes  charge  of  his  Father's  family,  consisting  of  step-mother  and  her 
children —  With  his  heavy  burden  of  debt  and  family,  fills  duties  of  his  Chair, 
Preaches,  delivers  Addresses,  &c.  —  Maffit —  His  description  of  Bascours  talenta 

—  Offered  Presidency  of  Augusta  College — Testimonial  of  Trustees  —  Elected 
to  General  Conference  of  1836  —  Vi-^its  scene  of  early  labors  —  Delivers  Address 
at  laying  corner  stone  of  Itidiana  Asbury  University  —  Tenders  his  resignation 
as  Professor  —  Is  not  accepted,  but  permis.«ion  given  to  travel  —  Invited  to 
deliver  Lectures  on  Infidelity,  in  Cincinnati  —  Delivers  Lectures  in  Cincinnati 
and  in  l^ouisville — Receives  the  honorary  degree  of  D.  D.  —  Invited  to  preach 
V.'fore  Young  Men's  Mis.sionary  Society  of  New  York —  Pre.iehss  with  fine  effect 

—  Notices  by  Knickerbocker  and  others  —  First  interview  with  his  Wife  — 
Delivers  Lectures  on  Infidelity,  in  New  York  —  Notice  by  the  Press  —  A'^isits  and 
Lectures  at  divers  places  —  Visits  Saratoga  and  preaches  to  a  great  multitude 
in  open  air.  and  brings  on  Bronchial  .Affection  —  Notice  of  this  Sermon  — 
Offered  Agency  at  salary  of  three  thousand  dollars,  but  declines— Advised  to 
go  South  for  health  —  Lectures  in  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  &c,,  but  had  to 
desist  —  Report  of  Dr.  Bascom's  Death  —  Pleasant  contradiction  of  it  —  (Note) 

-Why  did  he  thus  peril  his  life?  and  why  was  he  permitted  to  do  so?        244 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

emproves  in  Health,  returns  to  New  York  and  Marries  —  Why  did  he  not  Marry 
earlier,  and  disembarrass  him.self  ?  —  W'hy  Marry  now  under  embarrassments  ? 
--Leaves  New  York  with  his  Ladv,  and  visits  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Pitt*- 
1* 


%  CONTENTS. 

burg,  and  finally  Auppista  —  Heavy  draught  on  his  funds  —  Manner  of  Life  and 
Prospect  —  Elected  President  of  Louisiana  College,  which  he  declines  —  Ten 
dered  Presidency  of  Missouri  University,  also  declined  —  Elected  to  General 
Oonference  of  1840 —  Important  Position  assigned  him  — Overture  from  Tran- 
sylvania University  —  Action  of  Conference  —  Dr.  Bascom  a  Commissioner  — 
Tender  of  ]Morrison  College  to  Kentucky  Conference  —  Commissioners  meet  and 
accept  the  College  —  The  source  of  a  diflSculty,  transferring  only  a  College 
when  a  UniversitywRS  understood  —  Bascom  appointed  President  pro  tern,  of 
University  —  Services  and  Compensation  at  Augusta  —  (Note)  —  Germ  of  future 
difiiculties  developing — <^ollege  opened  under  new  Organization,  and  is  very 
successful  —  Comparative  Prosperity  shown  —  (Note)  —  College  Property  incum- 
bered—  Efforts  to  relieve  it— Death  of  Dr.  Bascom 's  Step-Mother  —  Dr. 
Bascom  a  Delegate  to  the  General  Conference  of  1844  —  On  account  of  difficul- 
ties on  the  Slavery  Question,  declines,  as  Chairman  of  Commissioners,to  report 
the  acquisition  of  the  College  —  Is  elected  permanent  President  of  University 

—  Is  Chairman  of  Education  Committee  in  General  Conference  —  Gets  into  a 
Political  Difficulty,  the  history  of  which  is  given,      -  ...  270 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Southern  Convention  meets,  1845  —  Dr.  Bascom  at  the  head  of  the  most  impor 
tant  Committee  —  Action  of  that  body  respecting  the  University  —  Dr.  Bascom 'fl 
Diary  in  1846  — General  Conference  —  Bascom  supported  for  Bishop  —  Causes 
of  Failure  —  The  College  accepted  by  General  Conference —  Bascom  re-elect«d 
President  —  Difficulties  for  him  in  re-organization  —  College  begins  to  languinh 
under  new  Arrangement  —  Dr.  Bascom  elected  Editor  of  new  Quarterly  Review 

—  Commissioner  to  look  after  the  Church  Property  in  dispute  —  Difficulties  of 
his  three  offices  and  his  private  affairs  — Plan  for  relieving  tht  last  —  Partly 
successful  —  He  attends  the  Northern  General  Conference  in  1848  —  Resigns 
the  Presidency, -      286 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Dr.  Bascom  employs  himself  in  preparing  a  Volume  of  his  Sermons  for  the  Press, 
which  is  published  early  in  1850 — Its  Reception  —  He  is  solicited  to  be  a 
Candidate  for  the  Episcopacy  —  At  the  General  Conference  reports  the  doings 
of  Commissioners,  which  are  unanimously  Approved  —  Notice  of  his  services 
as  Editor  of  Quarterly  —  Action  of  the  Conference  dissolving  the  connection 
with  Transylvania —  Dr.  Bascom  Elected  Bishop  —  His  Election  gave  very  gen- 
eral satisfaction  —  An  Untruthful  Representation  on  this  subject  corrected  (Note\ 

—  He  returns  home  and  prepares  to  start  on  his  Official  Tour  to  the  St.  Louis 
Conference  —  Leaves  home  in  Bad  Health  —  Presides  and  Preaches  with  great 
approbation  —  Resolution  of  the  Conference  — Visits  different  places  and 
Preaches  —  Reaches  St.  Louis,  and  Preaches  his  last  Sermon  —  Arrives  at 
Louisville  —  Attempts  to  proceed  home,  but  is  compelled  to  return,  take  his 
bed,  and  receive  Medical  Treatment — Resignation  —  Dr.  Stevenson's  Accountr 
of  his  Illness  —  His  Wife  comes  to  him  —  The  Closing  Scene  —  Funeral  Solem- 
nities—  General  Expressions  of  Sorrow, 298 

CHAPTER  XXII.  —  Character  of  Bishop  Bascom. 
Character  of  Bishop  Bascom  —  Scholarship  —  Filial  and  Fraternal  Aflfection  — 
Benevolence  —  Social  Qualities  and  Intercourse  with  Ladies  —  Bascom  as  a 
Writer  —  As  a  Preacher    and    Orator  —  Preparations    for    the    Pulpit  —  His 

Piety, 326 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Mr.  Bascom's  connection  with  the  movement  for  modifying  the  govornment  of 
the  Church,  -      -  ...  861 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Mr.  Bascom's  connection  with  the  controversy  on  Slavery,  -      884 

iPPBNBIX,  -  -899 


lit  flf  fenrg  §.  laH0m< 


CHAPTER  I. 

EMBRACING    THE   PERIOD    FROM    HIS    BIRTH   TO    HIS 
CONVERSION. 

Birth  and  Parentage  — Paternal  Aneestry  —  His  Mother  and  hei 
Ancestors  — Brothers  and  Sisters  —  His  own  Account  of  his  Early 
Years  —  Goes  to  School  —  Takes  his  relative's  name,  and  is  sent 
by  him  to  School  away  from  home  —  Returns  home  and  goes  to 
•  his  last  School  —  His  Parents  remove  to  the  frontier  in  western 
New  York —  His  Conversion,  and  the  question  of  its  date  settled. 

Henry  Bidleman  Bascom  was  the  son  of 
Alpheus  and  Hannah  Bascom,  and  was  born 
May  27,  1796.  As  to  his  bh-th-place,  a  number 
of  conflicting  statements  have  been  published 
since  his  death,  some  of  which  are  singularly 
apocryphal  and  absurd.  On  the  authority  of 
four  or  five  of  his  near  relations  and  early  school- 
mates, and  particularly  of  a  venerable  relative 
who  is  iniimate  with  his  fimily  history,  we  are, 
however,  able  to  settle  this  matter  correctly  and 
with  certainty.  He  was  born  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  east  branch  of  Delaware  river,  in  the  town  of 
Hancock,  Delaware  county.  New  York,  two  miles 


12  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

from  the  junction  of  the  east  and  west  branches 
of  the  Delaware,  and  two  from  (the  now)  Chehoc- 
ton  village,  on  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad. 

Respecting  his  paternal  ancestors,  he  says: 
•'^It  would  seem  from  fimily  records  and  tradition, 
that  I  am  patern;dly  descended  from  a  French 
Huguenot  family,  which,  driven  from  France  by 
the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantz,  settled  in 
one  of  the  border  counties  near  the  Clyde.  It 
appears  further,  that  three  brothers,  descendants 
of  this  f  imily,  during  the  civil  disturbances  and 
religious  oppression  which  drove  so  many  of 
the  English  Puritans  from  the  land  of  their 
birth,  emigrated  to  the  then  new  and  feeble 
colonies  of  North  America.  Two  of  the  brothers 
remained;  the  third,  being  diss itisfied,  removed 
to  one  of  the  English  West  India  islands.  The 
remaining  two  settled  in  Massachusetts.  Sub- 
sequently a  division  of  the  family  removed  to 
New  York;  of  that  branch  of  the  family  I  am 
a  descendant." 

I  have  before  me  a  genealogical  table  of  the 
Bascom  family,  going  back  to  the  year  1650, 
in  which  year  "Thomas  Bascom  came  from  the 
north  of  England,  and  settled  in  Northampton, 
Massachusetts;"  and  a  letter  from  the  flilher 
of  IT.  B.  Bascom  to  his  son,  dated  1825,  not 
<)nly  recognizes  New  England  as  the  land  of  his 
ancestors,  but  as  his  own  native  place.     Speaking 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  13 

of  a  contemplated  tour  of  his  son,  he  says  to 
him:  "I  hope  you  will  get  to  New  England, 
and  see  my  native  country  —  I  never  expect 
to  see  it,"  &c. 

Of  his^mother,  Mr.  Bascom  gives  the  following 
general  account:  ^'My  mo 'her  was  a  German  of 
the  Bidleman  family,  of  Greenwich,  New  Jersey. 
Her  education,  training,  language  and  habits, 
however,  were  English.  She  was  naturally  sen- 
sible and  sprightly;  a  woman  of  ardent  feelings, 
but  of  strong  and  ingenuous  purpose,  combining 
in  no  ordinary  degree  natural  vivacity  and 
playfulness  of  temperament,  with  great  resolu- 
tion and  decision  of  character.  My  mother 
owed  nothing  to  the  philosophy  of  modern 
refinement,  and  was  too  ambitious  not  to  regret 
it ;  yet  I  have  known  few  women  who  possessed 
a  larger  share  of  the  poetry  of  feeling." 

Mr.  Houk,  the  aged  relative  referred  to  before, 
gives  a  fuller  and  more  detailed  account  of  her : 
"Hannah  Houk,  the  mother  of  H.  B.  Bascom, 
was  born  in  Greenwich,  Sussex  county,  N.  J., 
opposite  Easton,  Pa.,  in  1772.  Her  father's  name 
was  George  Houk,  and  the  maiden  name  of  her 
mother,  Rosanna  Bidleman.  In  1788,  they  re- 
moved to  Sullivan  county,  N.  Y.,  and  about  three 
years  afterwards  to  Hancock,  Delaware  county, 
N.  Y.,  (the  place  described  above  as  Mr.  Bascom's 
bu'th-place.)     Soon    after    settling    in    the    last 


14.  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

named  place,  Hannah  was  married  to  Alpheus 
Bascom,  and  they  settled  on  the  same  farm 
with  her  parents,  not  more  than  a  stone's  throw 
distant,  where  the  late  Bishop  Bascom  was  born. 
A  large  pile  of  rough  stones,  the  rude  remains 
of  the  fallen  chimney,  still  marks  the  spot  where 
the  noble  and  eloquent  H.  B.  Bascom  first 
breathed  the  vital  air. 

"  To  know  Hannah  Houk  Bascom  was  to  love 
her.  In  dress  she  was  neat,  in  her  manners  easy 
and  affable,  exact  in  her  domestic  duties,  a  kind 
and  gentle  wife,  an  affectionate  mother,  ever  ready 
to  administer  the  balm  of  comfort  to  the  cast  down 
and  afflicted, — and  many  a  hunter  and  raftsman, 
weary  and  hungry,  has  had  abundant  reason  to 
implore  the  blessing  of  heaven  on  Mrs.  Bascom; 
their  reception  was  always  cordial  and  welcome ; 
and  the  weary  traveler  was  sure  of  a  home  under 
her  roof  Her  character  was  without  spot  or 
blemish  throughout  her  life." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bascom  had  eight  children,— 
Elizabeth,  Henry  Bidleman,  Clara,  Sylvanus,  George, 
Alpheus,  Hiram  Baxter,  and  Lewis.  By  a  second 
wife  Mr.  B.;scom,  Sr.,  had  one  child — John  Ellis: 
and  by  a  third  wife,  three — James,  Samuel,  and 
Hannah  Houk — in  all  twelve. 

Young  Bascom  gives  the  following  account  of 
his  juvenile  years: 

*'^  My  personal  recollections  extend  far  back,     I 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  15 

have  distinct  and  vivid  recollections  of  numerous 
occurrences  connected  with  the  fourth  year  of  my 
life.  During  infancy  and  childhood  my  health  was 
perfect,  and  my  physical  development  rapid  and 
steady.  I  can  never  forget  that  the  early  elements 
of  enjoyment  were  sought  and  found  in  perpetual 
activity ;  running,  leaping,  climbing,  and  the  like, 
were  my  daily  tactics,  my  meat  and  diink.  The 
love  of  adventure  was  a  passion,  and  its  chances 
always  led  me  into  temptation.  My  adventures 
were  rarely  shared  by  another;  an  enthusiastic 
love  of  nature  led  me  to  seek  solitude  and  to  shun 
society.  Social  mischief  I  never  was  addicted  to. 
I  was  from  nature  averse  to  it;  the  usual  petty  or 
more  serious  crimes  of  childhood  I  rarely  ever 
committed.  But  I  was  not  without  faults,  by  any 
means — I  was  passionate  and  indocile.  I  met 
restraint  with  great  impatience,  and  was  too  much 
inclined  to  rely  upon  my  own  impulses  as  correct. 
Fearful  and  startling  were  my  struggles  when  a 
mere  child,  between  my  own  sense  of  what  was 
right  and  allowable,  and  the  very  different  decisions 
of  parental  authority.  To  my  parents  I  was  never 
disobedient,  my  affection  for  them  always  held  me 
more  than  the  strength  of  law." 

Mr.  Houk,  who  knew  him  from  infancy,  says, 
"His  character  in  boyhood  was  irreproachable;  he 
was  ever  kind  and  forgiving  to  his  playmates,  and 
faithful  to  any  trust  committed  to  his  keeping- 


h]  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

but  his  great  delight  was  in  rafting  small  floats 
and  sporting  in  the  clear  waters  of  the  Delaware." 

Of  his  early  years  and  habits,  I  find  the 
following  reminiscence  on  a  loose  scrap  of  paper, 
dated  August,  1814:  "while  sick,  I  reviewed  the 
scenes  of  my  childhood.  I  was  born  on  the  banks 
of  the  Delaware,  where  my  parents  lived  nineteen 
years.  The  beautiful  river  rolled  down  in  front  of 
my  father's  dwelling,  offering  a  thousand  scenes  for 
recreation  and  amusement — huge  rocks  of  all 
forms  and  magnitudes,  beautiful  pebbles  of  various 
colors  and  qualities,  with  which  to  amuse  myself, 
the  privilege  of  wading,  bathing,  plunging,  sporting 
in  the  clear  waters  of  the  Delaware,  or  catching 
the  finny  tribes  with  hook  and  line;  or  casting 
these  aside,  I  climbed  the  crags,  and  plucked  the 
wild  cherries,  the  haw,  the  fragrant  plum,  then  to 
the  field  to  seek  the  luscious  melon,  and  then  to 
crown  all,  returned  pressed  down  with  my  mellow 
load  to  present  it  to  my  parents,  and  their  little 
prattlers." 

"When  about  five  years  of  age"  —  says  Mr. 
Bascom  —  "I  was  placed  at  a  school  taught  by  a 
Miss  Leonard,  a  maiden  lady.  Here  I  soon 
learned  to  read,  so  as  to  take  great  delight  in 
juvenile  books,  and  in  a  few  months  was  familiar 
vvit-h  the  primerology  of  the  times  and  neigh- 
borhood. Beyond  this,  however,  I  could  be 
tMught    nothing   in   that    school.      When    about 


LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASOOM.  1"? 

seven  years  old,  I  was  placed  at  a  somewhat  better 
school,  taught  by  a  Mr.  May.  He  was,  judging 
from  my  recollection,  a  good  common  school 
teacher,  and  advanced  me  considerably  in  reading, 
writing,  &c.  He  w.is,  however,  very  severe  in  his 
discipline,  and  chastising  me  most  unmercifully 
upon  a  time,  after  I  had  been  with  him  several 
months,  I  fled,  from  him  in  great  anger,  and  ran 
several  miles  home  to  my  father's  house  without 
stopping." 

When  he  was  about  eight  and  a  half  years  of 
age,  as  it  appears,  Mr.  Bascom's  parents  were 
visited  by  a  relation  of  the  family,  Henry  Bidle- 
man,  Esq.,  who  being  pleased  with  Henry,  he 
proposed  that,  as  the  boy  had  his  name  in  part,  if 
they  would  add  the  Bidleman.,  giving  his  name  11 
full,  ,he  would  take  him  home  and  send  him  to 
school.  The  proposal  was  agreed  to,  and  Henr} 
went  home  with  Mr.  Bidleman,  who  resided  at 
Easton,  Pa.  At  that  place  he  went  to  school  for 
sometime,  or  rather  at  Greenwich,  for  it  appears 
from  his  own  statement  that  the  school  was  on  the 
Jersey  side  of  the  river. 

"The  country  Academy  at  which  I  was  now 
placed,  was  taught  by  Mr.  John  T.  Simpson,  a  most 
estimable  man,  as  well  as  admirable  teacher.  Here 
I  remained  until  I  was  about  eleven  years  old,  and 
my  progress  in  the  rudimental  learning  of  the 
school  was,  I  believe,  entirely  satisfictory  to  those 


18  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM 

interested  in  my  welfare.  From  this  date  until  I 
was  twelve  years  old,  I  was  the  pupil  of  Mr.  Henry 
Evans,  of  whom  I  have  ever  cherished  the  most 
grateful  recollections.  After  my  sep.iration  from 
this  excellent  teacher,  I  was  never  at  school  again." 

Here  we  have  the  whole  amount  of  Mr.  Bascom's 
school  education.  But  from  even  this  amount  a 
deduction  must  be  made.  Mr.  Houk  informs  us, 
that  those  first  schools  attended  by  him,  were 
kept  up  only  "  two  or  three  months  in  the  year." 
If,  then,  we  assume  that  the  actual  time  of  his 
attending  the  first  school  was  six  months,  and  the 
second  the  same ;  say  two  and  a  half  years  at 
most  with  Mr.  Simpson,  and  one  year  with  Mr. 
Evans,  the  whole  sum  would  be  less  than  five 
years.  Paul  S.  Preston,  Esq.,  a  school  mate  of 
Mr.  Bascom,  says  that  one  of  his  teachers  declared 
to  him  that  "Henry  Bascora  was  the  most  apt 
student  that  ever  came  to  his  school." 

Mr.  Bascom's  parents  removed  from  his  native 
place,  where  they  had  resided  nineteen  years,  to 
Little  Valley,  on  the  Alleghany  river,  below  Olean, 
Olean  Point,  in  Western  New  York,  in  1808. 
This  must  have  been  the  date  of  their  removal,  for 
he  tells  us  explicitly  that  it  occurred  when  he  was 
twelve  years  old,  which,  as  he  was  born  in  1796,  was 
in  1808.  "It  is  true,"  he  says  in  a  letter  to  his  old 
friend,  Mr.  Preston,  written  in  1824,  "my  father 
removed  to  the  west  in   1812,"  but  this  must  be 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.         19 

understood  of  his  removal  from  western  New  York 
to  the  further  west — to  Kentucky  and  then  to 
Ohio;  for  we  shall  presently  find  positive  evidence 
that  he  was  in  western  New  York  at  an  earlier 
date  than  1812,  and  that  in  that  year  he  removed 
to  Kentucky. 

Eighteen  hundred  and  ten  or  eleven  appears  to 
have  been  the  year  of  his  conversion;  but  there  is 
not  perfect  harmony  among  the  witnesses  as  to  the 
exact  time  and  circumstances  of  that  event.  Rev. 
James  Gilmore,  who  was  intimate  with  Mr.  Bascom 
from  the  age  of  ten  years,  says,  that  on  his  return  to 
Little  Valley  in  1811,  he  learned  that  a  little  before 
this  "A  Methodist  exhorter  from  the  east  had  moved 
to  the  Little  Valley,  and  through  his  instrumen':- 
ality  almost  all  the  fimilies  of  the  valley  had 
embraced  religion,  young  Henry  with  the  rest." 
Rev.  Loring  Grant,  in  a  letter  to  me  under  date 
March  14,  1851,  gives  the  following  as  his  under- 
standing of  the  matter:  —  "In  the  spring  of  1811 
Mr.  Gilmore  and  young  Bascom  came  into  the 
waters  of  Sugar  Creek,  in  what  is  now  Bedford 
county.  Pa.  I  knew  but  little  of  him  until  the 
time  referred  to  by  brother  Buvch,  when  preaching 
at  Capt.  Clark's,  at  Old  Sheshegoin.  The  young 
man  came  ten  miles  on  foot  to  attend  the  meeting. 
While  preaching,  I  noticed  in  him  deep  feeling, 
and  in  the  class-meeting  he  told  us  that  during  the 
meeting,  or  under  the  sermon  he  had  found  peace 


20  LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

with  God,  and  ofifered  himself  for  membei'ship  in 
the  church,  and  was  received." 

This  seeming  disagreement  is  reconcilable  by 
supposing  that  no  church  organization  existed  on 
the  extreme  frontier  where  Henry  was  really 
converted,  and  this  is  nearly  certain  from  the 
statements  of  Mr.  Gilmore  ;  —  and  that  when  the 
young  stranger  appeared  in  Mr.  Grant's  congrega- 
tion under  'deep  feeling,'  and  in  class-meeting 
professed  to  have  received  a  great  blessing,  and 
then  offered  himself  for  membership,  it  was  very 
natural  that  Mr.  Grant  should  conclude  that  this 
was  his  first  public  profession  of  religion.  That 
this  was  a  misapprehension,  however,  is  evident, 
for  before  this  time  Mr.  Giimore  had  become  satis- 
fied with  the  soundness  of  Henry's  religious 
experience,  and  had  called  on  him  to  exhort  in 
public,  —  as  we  shall  see  presently,  from  Mr.  Gil- 
more's  very  interesting  narrative  of  the  events  of 
that  spring  and  summer. 

In  my  mind  then  it  is  settled,  that  young  Bascom 
was  converted  in  Little  Valley,  in  the  year  1810, 
and  the  first  opportunity  he  had  of  uniting  with  the 
church  was  in  the  spring  of  1811,  at  Old  Sheshe- 
goin,  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Mr.  Grant.* 

*  Since  writing  the  foregoing  I  have  found  a  scrap  in  Bascom's 
own  handwriting,  which  settles  this  point ;  it  reads  as  follows :  — 
•'August  18th,  1814, — four  years  to-day  since  my  conversion.  Bless 
God  for  mercy  through  Christ  our  Lord.  Henry  B.  Bascom."  This 
axes  the  date  of  Mr.  Bascom's  conversion  at  August  18th,  1810. 


CHAPTER  II. 

FROM    HIS    CONVERSION    TO    HIS    SETTLEMENT    IN    OHIO. 

Wild  state  of  the  Country,  and  want  of  Advantages — Enters  into  an 
Arrangement  with  Mr.  Gilmore  to  Work  and  Study  with  him — 
Their  Journey  over  the  Mountains,  Incidents  and  Sufferings — 
Holds  Religious  Meetings — Henry  begins  to  speak  in  Public,  and 
astonishes  the  people  —  Difficulties  and  Opposition  —  Rapid 
Improvement — Separates  from  Mr.  Gilmore  and  returns  home— 
Diligence  in  Cultivating  his  Mind  —  Removal  to  Kentucky,  and 
then  to  Ohio — Labors  on  the  Farm,  and  for  means  of  entering  the 
Ministry. 

We  now  return  to  notice  the  circumstances 
under  which  his  Christian  career  was  begun,  and 
the  disadvantages  with  which  he  was  surrounded. 

Mr.  Bascom  says : — "When  I  was  twelve  years 
old,  a  reverse  in  the  pecuniary  circumstances  of  my 
father  induced  him  to  remove  westward,  and  settle 
in  a  wilderness  surrounded  by  savages.  A  section 
of  twenty  miles  did  not  contain  more  than  half 
a  dozen  families.  But  even  here  I  was  cheerful 
and  happy,  perpetually  indulging  in  dreams  and 
aspirations  connected  with  the  future.  My  informa- 
tion was  necessarily  limited,  and  the  means  of 
increasing  it  equally  so ;  but  this  did  not  damp 
my  natural  ardor  of  feeling  in  pursuit  of  whatever 
could  amuse  or  excite  me.  I  was  passionately 
fond  of  reading  and  writing,  and  to  these  exercises 


22  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

I  applied  myself  with  a  perseverance  which  I  know 
not  how  to  account  for." 

Rev.  Mr.  Gilmore  gives  the  following  account 
of  the  population  of  th  it  region  at  the  date  in 
question:  —  "At  the  Olean  Point,  there  were  but 
two  log  cabins  at  th:it  time,  which  is  now  quite  a 
large  village.  From  the  Olean,  it  was  about  twenty 
miles  down  to  the  Little  Valley,  though  we  sirike 
the  Indian  lands  before  we  come  to  that  place. 
This  reserve  stretches  about  forty  miles  up  and 
down  this  beautiful  stream,  (the  Allegh  iny.)  which 
belongs  to  the  Seneca  tribe.  From  our  settlement, 
it  was  about  fifteen  miles  down  the  river  to  the  next 
settlement  of  whites.  This  is  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Kangua  creek  (Fish  creek.)  Perhaps  there  were 
about  ten  or  twelve  families  there  at  that  time. 
From  the  Kangua,  it  was  about  twelve  miles  down 
to  another  settlement,  cdled  Warren,  Pa.,  where 
the  Conewango  falls  into  the  Alleghany,  where 
there  were  but  three  or  four  houses  at  the  time, 
which  is  now  a  very  populous  village.  North  of 
the  Little  Valley,  it  was  thirty  miles  through  the 
wilderness  to  a  settlement  at  the  mouth  of  Catta- 
raugus creek,  on  lake  Erie. 

''Here,  then,  we  see,  that  this  boy,  who  has  since 
shaken  vast  assemblies  by  his  oratory,  and  aston- 
ished the  world  with  his  greatness,  was  at  that 
time  in  almost  a  howling  wilderness,  and  virtually 
surrounded  by  the  red  men  of  the  forest. 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  23 

Mr.  GiJmore  was  himself  a  very  young  man, 
having  scarcely  reached  his  majority,  of  but  little 
religious  experience,  and  small  attainments;  for 
pecuniary  means,  his  reliance  was  on  the  labor 
of  his  hands  as  a  pump  and  aqueduct  maker. 
He  had  loved  Henry  from  a  little  boy,  but  now 
he  loved  him  as  a  brother  in  the  Lord,  and 
feared  to  leave  him  unprotected  in  his  spiritual 
infancy,  on  that  dangerous  and  wild  frontier. 
He  therefore,  though  but  an  exhorter  himself, 
proposed  to  take  Henry  into  business  with  him, 
with  the  understanding  that  he  was  not  only 
to  teach  him  the  art  and  mystery  of  aqueduct 
making,  but  to  render  all  the  aid  in  his  power 
to  make  Henry  himself  an  aqueduct  for  the 
communication  of  the  waters  of  life  to  the 
thirsty  children  of  earth.  This  arrangement 
being  settled,  it  was  agreed  to  spend  the  season 
on  the  waters  of  the  Susquehanna,  as  more 
eligible  in  all  respects  for  their  objects,  than 
the  uninhabited  frontier  where  they  then  were. 
But  an  account  of  the  preparation,  the  journey, 
and  its  sequences,  will  be  best  given  in  the 
language  of  Mr.  Gilmore: 

"As  I  designed  to  visit  the  scattered  settle- 
ments along  down  the  river  as  far  as  Warren, 
I  invited  young  Henry  to  accompany  me,  which 
he  did ;  and  this  gave  me  a  more  proper  oppor- 
*Mnity    of    becoming    acquainted    with    him,    his 


24  lifl:  of  bishop  bascom. 

Christian  experience,  and  the  impressions  of 
his  mind;  and  by  conversing  with  him  freely, 
I  was  convinced  that  he  was  moved  upon  by 
the  Holy  Ghost  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
But  what  could  he  do  in  this  unsettled  country, 
where  there  were  few  to  talk  to,  except  the 
Indians?  I  believe  that  Henry  told  me,  that 
he  had  been  once  through  to  the  Cattaraugus, 
thirty  miles,  to  hold  meetings  among  the  people. 
When  I  came  to  survey  the  many  difficulties 
by  which  he  was  surrounded,  and  knowing  that 
he  was  young  in  experience,  and  unacquainted 
with  the  ways  of  the  world,  and  the  deep  gins 
of  the  enemy,  I  thought  in  all  human  probability, 
if  he  remained  in  that  wilderness,  that  he  would 
backslide  and  become  useless  in  the  world.  I 
therefore  told  Henry  that  he  had  better  go  and 
spend  the  summer  with  me,  on  the  Susquehanna 
river,  and  I  would  assist  him  all  I  could.  He 
told  me  that  he  would  go,  if  his  father  would 
give  him  liberty.  So  after  we  returned  again 
back  to  the  Little  Valley,  I  conversed  with  his 
father  on  the  subject,  and  after  telling  him  what 
I  thought  about  the  duty  of  his  son,  and  the 
great  improbability  of  his  accomplishing  anything 
in  that  wilderness,  he  finally  gave  his  consent 
for  Henry  to  go  and  spend  the  summer  with  me. 

"Did    God    move    the    heart    of    Pharaoh's 
dau£jhter  to   command  her  maiden   to  take   the 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  25 

ark  from  among  the  flags  and  convey  it  to  the 
shore,  which  contained  the  child  that  God  raised 
up  to  manhood,  who  afterwards  astonished  the 
hosts  of  Israel  by  his  wisdom?  So  we  see  that 
God  can  accomplish  a  great  work  with  a  small 
instrument.  After  closing  my  visit  among  my 
friends,  we  prepared  ourselves  for  the  intended 
journey;  designing  to  follow  the  Alleghany,  in 
its  meanderings,  to  its  head  waters,  pass  over 
the  dividing  gTounds,  and  strike  the  head  waters 
of  Pine  creek,  which  puts  into  the  Susquehanna, 
the  distance  of  which  is  about  seventy  miles. 
The  first  night  on  our  way,  we  called  on  Father 
Arthur,  about  six  miles  above  Olean  Point,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  (then  called)  King's  creek. 

"We  held  a  meeting  among  the  people  in 
the  evening,  and  next  morning  we  made  our 
way  up  the  river,  picking  our  way  as  well  as 
we  could  along  its  banks,  without  any  road  to 
guide  us.  When  we  arrived  at  the  confluence 
of  the  Alleghany  and  Potatoe  creek,  about 
twenty  miles  above  the  Olean,  we  found  that 
two  families  had  made  their  way  from  Rice 
creek  into  that  wilderness.  As  our  stock  of 
provision  was  exhausted,  we  called  at  the  first 
house  we  came  to,  and  asked  the  lady  of  the 
house  if  she  could  supply  our  wants.  The  kind 
woman  baked  us  two  small  unleavened  cakes, 
m  a  pan,  and  as  we  were  very  hungry,  we  sood 
2 


26         LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

consumed  one  of  them.  We  fhen  pursued  on 
five  miles,  to  the  next  house,  and  got  the 
privilege  of  staying  with  them  over  night,  and 
started  the  next  morning  on  our  way  before 
breakfast.  We  then  had  thirty  miles  to  travel 
over  the  mountains,  without  any  house. 

"After  we  had  traveled  till  about  ten  o'clock 
the  next  day,  we  stopped  and  ate  our  other 
cake,  having  then  twenty  miles  farther  to  travel, 
before  we  reached  the  settlement.  We  now  made 
what  speed  we  could,  knowing  that  we  must  suffer 
much  with  hunger  before  we  got  through,  and 
perhaps  be  compelled  to  lodge  among  the  moun- 
tains all  night,  in  the  bargain.  When  we  arrived 
within  about  ten  miles  of  Pine  creek,  we  became 
very  faint  and  weary,  and  sat  ourselves  down 
on  a  log  to  rest.  I  suppose  that  young  Henry 
thought  this  rather  a  hard  beginning  in  his 
itinerant  career.  We  had  sat  there  but  a  few 
minutes  before  we  saw  a  man  pursuing  our 
footsteps,  with  great  haste.  He  came  up,  all 
bathed  in  sweat,  and  commenced  telling  us  how 
hard  he  had  traveled  to  overtake  us,  and  added, 
'My  mother,  who  gave  you  the  small  cakes 
yesterday,  started  me  off  very  early  this  morning, 
with  some  provisions  for  you,  fearing  that  you 
would  faint  before  you  got  through  the  wilder- 
ness.' He  then  opened  his  pack,  and  richly 
suppHed    our  wants.     The   young   man   said    he 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  27 

would  accompany  us  through  to  the  settlement, 
and  take  another  day  to  return  home  again. 

"We  reached  Pine  creek  on  Saturday  evening, 
and  called  on  a  religious  family  and  told  them  to 
invite  in  their  neighbors  the  next  morning,  and 
we  would  address  them.  This  we  did,  and  as  the 
people  in  that  place  were  almost  entirely  destitute 
of  the  gospel,  our  feeble  efforts  had  a  very  salutary 
effect  upon  their  minds.  Here  we  were  solicited 
by  a  gentleman,  to  hold  a  meeting  ten  miles 
ahead,  at  Wellsborough — he  going  ahead  to  give 
out  the  appointment.  We  staid  and  dined  with 
this  friendly  family,  and  then  went  on  to  our  next 
appointment;  and  when  we  arrived,  we  found  a 
large  school  house  filled  with  people  awaiting  our 
arrival. 

"  Here  I  preached  from  these  words  ^  How  shall 
we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great  salvation.'  Heb. 
ii,  3;  and  surely  God  blessed  the  work.  After  I 
had  brought  my  subject  to  a  close,  I  turned  around 
to  ask  Henry  to  exhort  the  people;  but  as  he 
looked  very  pale,  and  believing  it  arose  from  the 
idea  of  bearing  a  great  cross,  I  told  him  that  he 
need  not  speak  to  the  people  unless  he  pleased. 
But  he  tremblingly  spoke  and  said,  ^0,  I  think  I 
will  try  it.'  He  arose,  and  with  a  great  deal  of 
pathos  and  native  genius,  he  poured  down  a  storm 
upon  the  people.  I  was  astonished  to  hear  him 
use  the  language  which  he  did.     He  rolled  it  off 


28  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

as  with  thunder  peals.  Here  I  evidently  saw  that 
he  was  a  boy  possessing  more  than  ordinary  powers 
of  mind,  and  promised  great  usefulness  to  the 
world,  if  laithful  to  his  trust.  From  Pine  creek, 
we  made  our  way  on  to  Sugar  creek.  Pa.  Here  I 
arranged  my  business  to  spend  the  summer.  I 
took  a  large  job  of  supplying  a  man's  house  and 
yards  with  water  by  aqueduct.  After  I  had  got 
my  work  arranged  for  the  summer,  we  then 
procured  what  books  we  could  for  reading ;  but  as 
it  was  not  a  day  of  books,  (of  the  right  kind,)  our 
reading  was  very  much  limited;  but  we  resolved, 
at  least,  that  part  of  our  time  should  be  spent  in 
improving  our  minds. 

"  At  that  time  we  both  had  many  difficulties  to 
encounter,  meeting  with  opposition  from  some  of 
the  leading  members  of  the  church,  and  the  world 
too;  but  as  I  had  then  commenced  trying  to 
preach,  and  was  a  little  in  advance  of  Henry,  in 
point  of  experience  and  knowledge  too,  he  not 
only  depended  on  me  as  a  guide,  but  also  looked 
up  to  me  for  knowledge.  And  as  I  had  acquainted 
myself  with  the  doctrines  of  Methodism,  I  took 
much  pains  to  explain  these  doctrines  to  young 
Henry,  that  he  might  make  no  mistake  as  to  his 
starting  point.  I  knew  that  it  was  necessary,  in 
order  that  a  man  or  a  minister  be  useful  in  the 
world,  and  land  correctly  himself  in  the  end,  that 
he  not  only  become  acquainted  with,  but  also  that 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.         29 

he  imbibe,  proper  principles.  I  therefore  ex- 
plained to  him  the  fall  of  man,  the  redemption  of 
the  world  by  Jesus  Christ,  the  design  of  the 
operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon  the  mind,  and 
also  the  great  design  of  the  gospel  of  the  Son  of 
God,  which  was  to  save  a  lost  world  from  rain. 

"  I  found  Henry  to  have  a  very  inquiring  mind, 
anxious  to  learn  all  he  could,  in  order  that  he 
might  distinguish  between  truth  and  falsehood. 
When  an  impression  w^as  made  on  his  mind,  time 
could  scarcely  erase  it;  for  he  possessed  the 
greatest  power  to  commit  and  retain  anything,  of 
any  person  I  ever  saw.  His  power  of  association 
was  very  strong,  and  his  apprehensions  very  vivid. 

''I  had  my  appointments  out  in  different  par  Is  of 
the  country,  at  which  time  I  endeavored  to  preach 
to  the  people,  after  which  Henry  would  always 
exhort ;  and  it  was  evident  that  the  ascent  of  his 
mind  was  very  rapid.  What  he  read  at  his  leisure 
moments,  he  would  be  almost  constantly  repeating 
when  at  his  work,  except  when  we  were  in  conver- 
sation together.  He  was  firm  and  bold,  yet 
modest  in  his  appearance. 

"  Some  of  the  people  complained,  and  said  that 
GUmore  and  Bascom  prayed  half  their  time,  and 
yet  made  two  or  three  dollars  per  day.  The 
truth  was,  our  earning  that  amount  did  not  disturb 
the  people  as  much  as  our  praying,  neither  did  our 
praying  afFe(  t  them  as  did  our  public  exercises ; 


30  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

for  wherever  we  held  meetings,  the  houses  were 
crowded  to  overflowing ;  for  it  was  something  of  a 
novelty  with  the  people,  to  hear  a  boy  but  fifteen 
years  old,  (as  that  was  his  age  at  that  time,)  pour 
such  a  flood  of  deep  and  searching  truth  upon  the 
congregation,  as  he  often  would. 

"  The  jealousy  of  many  of  the  local  preachers  in 
these  parts  was  excited,  not  only  by  the  loss  of 
their  congregations,  but  in  the  thought  that  these 
mere  boys  were  their  rivals.  This  jealousy  was 
particularly  bitter  towards  my  young  colleague,  as 
it  was  thought  a  boy  of  but  fifteen  summers  must, 
of  necessity,  be  wholly  incompetent  to  instruct  the 
people  in  the  deep  principles  of  religious  truth. 
But  the  young  hero  was  steady  to  his  purpose, 
exhorting  in  season  and  out  of  season. 

"We  passed  the  summer  very  agreeably  together, 
although  we  encountered  adverse  winds  and  tides, 
and  almost  overwhelming  seas;  yet,  that  om- 
nipotent arm  which  upholds  universal  empire, 
supported  us  amidst  our  peril.  When  we  came  to 
close  up  our  summer's  labor,  it  was  evident,  even 
to  the  public,  as  fir  as  they  had  been  acquainted 
with  Henry,  that  he  had  risen  in  point  of  im- 
provement fifty  per  cent.  He  had  now  acquired  a 
very  good  knowledge  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel,  and  he  was  prepared  to  defend  those 
doctrines." 

Separating  from   his  friend  Gilmore,  probably 


LLFE   Of    BISHOP    BASCOM.  31 

about  thb  end  of  the  summer  of  1811,  he  recrossed 
the  mountains  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Little 
Valley.  The  remainder  of  this  year  he  appears 
to  have  devoted  chiefly  to  the  increasing  of  his 
stock  of  knowledge.  Mr.  William  Connelly,  still 
residing,  —  or  at  least  was  so  recently,  at  Franklin, 
Pa.,  not  far  from  Little  Valley,  became  acquamted 
with  young  Bascom  after  his  return  from  the  east, 
and  being  greatly  pleased  with  him,  invited  the 
youth  to  make  his  house  his  home,  and  tendered 
him  the  free  use  of  a  good  library.  This  was  a 
great  treat  to  young  Henry,  for  with  a  craving 
appetite  for  knowledge,  he  had  hitherto  enjoyed 
but  small  facilities  for  ministering  to  its  grati- 
fication ;  and  he  never  forgot  this  kindness  of  Mi. 
Connelly,  who,  in  after  life,  received  many  a  valued 
letter  from  the  famed  orator  as  the  reward  of  his 
courtesy  to  the  untutored  youth  of  the  wild 
frontier. 

Mr.  Connelly  seems  to  be  under  the  impression 
that  at  the  date  in  question,  and  when  Bascom 
was  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  was  just  then  learning 
to  read.  He  may  have  been  attending  to  the 
improvement  of  his  reading,  but  that  he  was  able 
to  read,  and  was  a  greedy  reader  at  an  earlier  date 
than  this,  we  have  explicit  evidence  not  only  in 
the  statement  of  Mr.  Giimore,  but  of  himself 

By  this  time  he  had  got  a  taste  of  the  tree  of 
knowledge,  and  his  appetite  for  its  enlightening 


32  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASOOM. 

fruit,  was  eager  and  insatiable :  there  was  no 
privation,  no  labor,  no  peril  he  would  not  encounter 
for  the  attainment  of  knowledge,  or  even  for  the 
means  —  the  instrument  of  its  attainment. 

In  1812,  and  from  known  facts  it  must  have 
been  quite  early  in  that  year,  the  Bascom  family 
removed  from  Little  Valley  to  Maysville,  Ky.,  or 
to  some  point  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  that 
place.  Here  they  could  have  remained  but  a 
brief  period,  for  before  the  close  of  that  year  they 
crossed  the  river,  and  settled  permanently  in  Ohio, 
about  five  miles  from  Maysville,  in  the  line  of 
direction  from  that  place  to  Ripley,  0. 

During  this  period,  Henry  appears  to  have  fully 
employed  his  time,  in  aiding  his  flither  in  his 
labor,  and  in  earning  all  that  he  could  to  prepare 
for  carrying  out  his  grand  object  of  preaching 
the  gospel, — in  gleaning  knowledge  from  every 
acr,(;Ssible  source,  and  in  exercising  his  talent  in 
exhortations  and  other  public  services. 


CHAPTER  in. 
LICENSED  TO  PREACH. 

First  Meeting  of  the  Ohio  Conference  —  Makes  fence  rails  to  buy  e 
horse  —  Goes  to  Maysville  to  meet  the  Preachers  —  Exhorts  — 
Rev.  W.  McMahan's  Account  of  his  Interview  with  yoang 
Bascom  —  Goes  to  Conference  at  Chillicothe —  Is  refused  Enter- 
tainment, but  provided  for  by  Mr.  McMahan — Enjoyments  and 
Benefits  of  the  Conference  —  Boundaries  of  Conferences,  and 
State  of  the  Work  at  that  date  —  Continued  Preparation  for  the 
Ministry — Is  Licensed  to  Preach,  Feb.  1813  —  Is  appointed  to 
labor  on  Brush  Creek  Circuit  —  His  Account  of  the  Work  on 
thig  Circuit. 

The  first  session  of  the  Ohio  conference — the 
old  "  wedern^^  having  been  that  year  divided  — 
was  approaching,  and  young  Bascom  was  anxious 
to  attend  it.  But  difficulties  stood  in  the  way; 
his  flither,  in  his  reduced  circumstances,  was  unable 
to  render  Henry  any  aid  in  the  way  of  outfit  for 
traveling,  and  indeed  could  but  poorly  spare  his 
personal  services  from  the  farm:  besides,  he 
thought  him  too  young  and  deficient  in  knowledge 
and  experience  to  undertake  preaching,  yet  he 
yielded  his  objections,  provided  Henry  could 
furnish  his  own  outfit.  Henry,  though  but  little 
over  sixteen,  was  not  a  boy,  to  be  frightened  at 
shadows.  He  who  had  traveled  over  the  Appe- 
lachian  chain  on  foot,  had  earned  two  or  three 

3 


34  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

dollars  a  day  at  boring  pump  logs — besides 
Spraying  nearly  half  the  time,' — whose  eloquence 
had  made  the  guilty  tremble,  the  good  rejoice, 
and  the  narrow  minded  to  feel  envious,  and  that 
too  when  he  was  younger  than  now  by  a  long  year 
and  a  half,  was  he  to  abandon  or  defer  the  grand 
object  of  laboring  on  a  large  scale  for  the  world's 
regeneration,  simply  because  he  had  no  horse, 
saddle,  saddle-bag  and  like  itinerating  accoutre- 
ments? Never!  Accordingly  he  went  to  work 
with  a  will.  He  cared  not  what  the  labor  was,  so  it 
was  but  honest,  and  would  procure  him  the  means 
of  carrying  out  his  engrossing  purpose.  Mr.  F. . . ., 
a  neighbor,  wished  a  number  of  fence  rails  made, 
and  Henry  was  a  candidate  for  the  job. 

-'  But,  Henry,  you  are  very  young,  and  this  is 
heavy  work  ■ —  man's  work." 

"  Not  very  old,  sir ;  but  I  have  a  strong  arm 
and  a  good  will." 

"Very  well,  you  can  but  try,  and  if  you  succeed 
so  much  the  better." 

The  terms  were  settled — twenty-five  cents  per 
hundred —  and  Henry  walks  into  the  fresh  unculled 
forest  with  ax,  wedge,  and  maul,  in  all  the  noble 
pride  of  confident  self-dependence;  and  soon  the 
crash  of  falling  oak  and  ash  sent  loud  reverberant 
sounds  through  the  deep  woods  and  up  the  hills, 
and  many  a  heart  of  oak  was  riven  by  the  youthful 
arm  of  him  whose  mental  and  moral  power  was 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  35 

destined  to  rive  the  very  soul  and  spirit,  and  joints 
and  marrow  of  trembling  thousands. 

The  equipments  were  of  course  procured,  and 
young  Bascom  felt  more  honest  pride  in  their  pos- 
session than  he  possibly  could,  had  they  been  the 
gift  of  a  wealthy  father  to  a  dependent  helpless  son. 

He  did  not  expect  at  that  conference  to  join  the 
the  traveling  connection,  but  as  this  was  his  ulti- 
mate design,  and  as  he  had  never  attended  a 
conference  nor  seen  a  bishop,  he  looked  to  his 
visit  to  that  meeting  with  such  hopes  and  solici- 
tudes as  can  only  be  felt  by  a  youth  of  his  fervid 
temperament. 

Limestone  —  now  Maysville  —  was  a  sort  of  ren- 
dezvous at  which  preachers  from  points  south  and 
west  were  expected  to  meet  on  their  way  to  the 
conference.  The  Sabbath  preceding  the  conference 
several  of  the  preachers  were  expected  to  be  in 
Limestone,  and  appointments  were  made  for  them 
to  preach  on  Saturday  night  and  Sabbath.  On 
Saturday  evening  young  Bascom  rode  over  to  town 
to  attend  the  meeting,  to  make  the  acquaintance 
of  the  preachers,  and  then  to  journey  on  with  them 
to  the  conference. 

Whether  on  account  of  a  failure  of  the  preachers 
to  reach  there  on  Saturday  night,  or  through 
curiosity  to  hear  the  Alleghany  boy,  I  am  not 
mformed,  but  on  that  night  Henry  exhorted  at  the 
meeting,  and  astonished  the  hearers,  not  less  by 


36         LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

his  boldness  in  reproving  the  delinquencies  and 
improprieties  of  professors,  than  by  the  fluency 
and  force  of  his  discourse. 

On  Sabbath  several  preachers  were  in  attendance, 
and  among  the  number  was  Rev.  Mr.  McMahan, 
between  whom  and  young  Bascom  a  friendship 
there  commenced  which  lasted,  bright  and  sound 
in  all  its  links,  until  severed  by  death — thirty-eight 
years  from. that  very  month.  Mr.  McMahan  shall 
report  to  us  of  that  first  interview  : — "  In  Septem- 
ber, 1812,  I  passed  through  Maysville  —  from 
Indiana  territory,  where  I  h:id  been  laboring — on 
my  way  to  the  conference  to  be  held  at  Chillicothe, 
0.,  in  company  with  Rev.  Samuel  Parker  and  Rev. 
Wm.  Patterson — both  long  since  gone  to  the  home 
of  God.  On  Sabbath  morning  I  preached,  and 
during  sermon  observed  a  very  fine  looking  youth 
in  the  congregation,  who,  from  the  fixed  and 
earnest  attention  he  gave  the  sermon,  appeared  to 
be  deeply  interested.  I  inquired  of  the  family  in 
which  I  was  staying  who  he  was,  and  learned  that 
his  name  was  Henry  B.  Bascom,  a  youth  of  sixteen, 
a  licensed  exhorter,  very  talented  and  zealous;  and 
that  on  the  preceding  night  he  had  delivered  an 
exhortation  which  was  very  pointed  against  fashion- 
able vice,  and  which  gave  offence  to  some  of  the 
members. 

"From  the  first  moment  I  saw  Bascom,  I  felt 
an  uncommon   interest  in  him,  and  all  I  heard 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  37 

from  those  who  knew  him,  but  tended  to  deepen 
that  interest.  When  I  returned  to  the  church 
in  the  afternoon  we  were  introduced,  and  I  was 
greatly  pleased  with  him ;  and  here  commenced 
an  acquaintance  which  lasted  thirty-eight  years 
without  interruption  or  the  slightest  unpleasant 
feeling,  so  far  as  I  know  or  believe." 

Of  Bascom,  at  that  date,  Mr.  McMahan  says : 
"He  was  well  grown,  of  fine  appearance,  very 
pious,  sprightly  and  intelligent  for  a  lad  of  his 
years  and  limited  opportunities  in  early  life." 

The  next  day  Bascom  started  with  the  com- 
pany for  conference,  full  of  delightful  an  ticipations 
of  what  he  \^^as  to  see  and  hear,  learn  and  enjoy. 
On  reaching  Chillicothe,  the  preacher  in  ch;irge 
assigned  the  preachers  of  the  company  their 
respective  places  of  lodging  during  the  conference. 
"But  where,"  said  Mr.  McM;ihan,  "is  my  young 
friend  to  stay?"  "Who  is  your  young  friend?  is 
he  a  preacher?"  "He  is  young  brother  Bascom," 
responded  McMahan,  "and  though  not  quite  a 
preacher,  expects  soon  to  be  one."  "We  have 
no  provision  made  except  for  the  preachers  — 
we  have  no  place  for  brother  Bascom,"  was  the 
response.  Poor  Henry  !  after  all  his  preparations, 
and  traveling  seventy  or  eighty  miles  to  attend 
the  conference,  the  cup  was  about  to  be  dashed 
after  reaching  his  veiy  lips.  His  heart  sank 
within  him,  and  he  was  turning  away  with  a  tearfu] 


38  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

eye  and  a  sorrowful  spirit,  to  retrace  his  steps 
in  disappointment  and  loneliness,  to  the  cott-ige 
of  his  father,  to  brood  over  the  early  blighting  of 
his  cherished  hopes.  But  McMahan  was  there; 
and  he  felt,  by  sympathy,  all  that  young  Bascom 
felt.  "Who  stays  with  me?"  he  inquired  of 
the  preacher.  "  No  one,"  was  the  answer.  "  Very 
well,  Henry,  you  come  along  with  me,  and  I  will 
make  provision  for  you."  He  did  so ;  he  secured 
him  a  cordial  welcome  in  the  family,  shared 
with  him  his  room  and  bed,  and  made  him  com- 
fortable in  circumstances  and  in  feelings.  This 
kindness  was  not  lost  on  Bascom;  for  in  an 
intimacy  of  thirty-five  years,  I  do  not  remember 
ever  to  have  heard  him  mention  the  name  of 
McMahan  without  some  indication  of  special 
regard. 

At  this  conference,  Bascom  first  saw  and  heard 
that  great  good  man.  Bishop  Asbury ;  and  from  him 
learned  those  liberal,  just  and  conservative  opinions 
on  the  subject  of  American  slavery,  which  are  under- 
stood to  have  distinguished  the  views  of  Bishop 
Asbury  from  those  of  Bishop  Coke,  and  which 
settled  Bascom's  principles,  on  that  subject,  for  life, 
in  opposition  to  his  earlier  views  and  teachings. 

His  visit  to  the  conference  was  greatly  bene- 
ficial to  him;  it  made  him  acquainted  with  the 
preachers,  gave  him  an  insight  into  the  manner 
of  conducting  conference  business,  and  widened 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  39 

his  whole  horizon  of  observation  respecting  church 
matters. 

Down  to  the  General  Conference  of  this  year, 
1812,   the    vast   territory    extending    from    the 
northern  lakes  to  the  gulf  of  Mexico,  and  from  the 
"  river  Ohio  and  the  great  river  Kanawha  "  on  the 
east  over  all  the  limitless  west,  was  embraced  in 
one  conference,  bearing  the  name  of  the  Western 
conference.     For  all  this  immense  field  there  were 
employed  one  hundred  traveling  preachers,  and  in 
it  there  were  thirty  thousand,  seven  hundred  and 
forty  members,  white  and  colored.     But  forty-one 
years  have  elapsed,  and  within  the  same  territory 
there  are   now  not  less  than  thirty  annufd  con- 
ferences and    parts   of  conferences,  with   several 
thousand  preachers,  and  probably  more  than  half 
a  million  of  members.     Even  after  the  division 
of  the  old  Western  conference  into  the  Ohio,  and 
Tennessee    conferences,    each    had    still    a    most 
imperial  domain.     The  Ohio  conference  had  the 
whol-e    of  that  state,  east    Indiana,   and    a   con- 
siderable part  of  Kentucky  and  western  Virginia ; 
while  Tennessee  conference  had  all  the  state  of 
Tennessee,   most   of    Kentucky,   part   of   North 
Carolina,  part  of  Virginia,  all  of  Indiana  except  its 
eastern  border,  all  of  Illinois,  Missouri  and  the 
territory   west,  all  of  Mississippi,  Alabama,   and 
Louisiana.     In  short,  there  are  now  about  three 
annual    conferences   for    each    presiding    elder's 


40        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

district  forty  years  ago.  Western  Indiana,  lUi^ 
nnis,  and  Missouri,  was  each  a  circuit.  Such  was 
the  general  state  of  the  work  at  the  time  when 
young  Bascom  came  forward  to  take  part  of  its 
labors  and  sufferings. 

The  few  months  immediately  succeeding  th( 
Chillicothe  conference,  Bascom  appeared  to  have 
spent  in  industrious  preparations  for  the  work  of 
the  ministry,  not  only  by  reading  and  study,  but 
by  exercising  his  gift  in  public  under  an  exhorter's 
license.  In  February,  1813,  a  quarterly  meeting 
was  held  for  the  circuit  within  which  he  resided — 
called  Brush  Creek,  I  think — at  which  he  at- 
tended, was  examined,  and  received  license  to 
preach.  That  part  of  the  state  of  Ohio  was  then 
embraced  in  the  Sciota  district — which  then 
extended  from  the  Ohio  river  on  the  south,  to  the 
Indian  boundary  on  the  north.  The  late  Rev. 
James  Quinn  was  presiding  elder,  and  of  course 
Bascom's  first  license  was  signed  by  that  excellent 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  quarterly  meeting 
at  which  Bascom  was  licensed  to  preach,  was  held 
at  or  near  the  village  of  New  Market,  Highland 
county,  0.;  and  it  was  to  him  a  pleasant  circum- 
stance, that  his  friend  McMahan,  who  labored 
this  year  in  Kentucky,  had  traveled  near  a 
hundred  miles  to  attend  this  meeting,  and  see  his 
young  friend  safely  through  this  important  trial. 

What  opinion  the  presiding  elder  previously  had 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  41 

of  Bascom,  or  whether  he  even  knew  that  such  a 
youth  existed,  I  have  no  means  of  ascertainmg; 
but  McMahan  was  not  likely  to  leave  him  in  doubt 
of  the  high  opinion  he  had  himself  formed  of  the 
young  man's  piety  and  talents,  and  accordingly 
we  find  Mr.  Quinn  appointing  the  new  made 
licentiate  to  Brush  creek  circuit,  with  Rev.  R.  W. 
Finley.  This  circuit  lay  in  the  counties  of  Adams, 
Highland  and  Sciota. 

A  memorandum  of  Bascom's  of  that  date  says, 
^'  We  had  some  small  revivals  of  religion  on  this 
circuit ;  but,  oh,  the  infinite  trials  and  temptations 
that  were  strewed  in  my  path  —  I  being  young  in 
years  and  younger  in  experience.  However,  I 
believe  that  God  armed  me  for  the  conflict,  so 
that  to  the  present  time  I  have  weathered  the 
storm.  I  have  generally  felt  best  in  the  pulpit, 
or  standing  behind  a  table  or  chair,  meekly  believ- 
ing that  a  dispensation  of  the  gospel  was  committed 
to  me. 

"During  my  stay  on  this  circuit,  there  was  a 
universal  call  on  all  the  militia  to  turn  out  and 
join  the  north-western  army,  so  that  there  were 
very  few  people  to  attend  meetings,  and  those 
who  did  were  generally  so  full  of  the  great  topic 
of  th3  day,  that  they  had  little  room  for  thoughts 
of  heaven  and  happiness." 


CHAPTER  IV. 


TRAVEL. 

fs  admitted  into  the  Itinerancy,  and  appointed  to  Deer  Creek 
Circuit  —  Extent  of  his  work  —  Studious  Habits  —  Great  Tm 
provement  —  Advantages  enjoyed  about  Chillicothe  —  Extract 
from  his  Diary  —  Reflections  on  his  Habits  and  Character  — 
Sickness  —  End  of  the  Year. 

In  the  autumn  of  1813,  he  was  received  by 
the  Ohio  annual  conference  as  a  regular  proba- 
tioner in  the  itinerancy,  and  was  appointed  to 
labor  on  Deer  Creek  circuit,  with  Rev.  Alexander 
Cummings. 

This  was  one  of  the  heaviest  circuits  in  the 
conference,*  and  Bascom,  of  course,  had  no  lack 
of  labor  to  perform.  This,  however,  he  peformed 
with  freedom  and  zeal,  and  besides  found  time 
for  much  reading  and  study.  Mr.  McMahan, 
speaking  of  this  early  period  of  his  ministry,  says : 
"I  never  witnessed  such  rapid  and  solid  improve- 
ment in  any  man  as  I  saw  in  Bascom."  He 
literally  devoured  every  thing  in  the  nature  of 
books  that  came  in  his  way,  and  such  was  the 

*  I  find  a  plan  of  this  circuit  among  his  papers,  from  which  it 
appears  that  there  were  twenty-seven  regular  appointi»ents  for 
preaching,  besides  numerous  extra  appointments  at  night-  on  rest 
d^ays,  &c 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  43 

astonishing  retentiveness  of  his  memory,  that  he 
seemed  to  make  every  valuable  thought  and 
expression  found  in  his  rapid  reading,  permanently 
his  own.  A  remarkable  instance  of  this  occurred 
at  the  date  in  question.  Chillicothe  was  embraced 
in  his  circuit,  and  as  it  was  one  of  the  largest 
towns  in  the  State,  as  well  as  its  capital,  he  en- 
joyed such  facilities  for  procuring  books  as  he 
had  never  before  enjoyed.  Here  he  met  with  a 
new  work  by  a  young  poet  —  Bryan  —  which 
pleased  his  undisciplined  fancy.  I  speak  of  the 
"Mountain  Muse,"*  a  bombastic  extravaganza, 
such  as  no  matured  mind  would  tolerate,  save  in 
'dhoy — as  the  author  really  was  when  he  wrote 
it  —  but  young  Bascom  had  not  judgment  to 
detect  its  blemishes,  and  was  rather  pleased  with 
its  exuberance  and  high-sounding  words.  He 
greedily  read  it  through,  and  in  an  incredibly 
short  time  had  the  whole  mass  of  valueless  lumber 
stored  away  in  his  memory  ;  and  years  afterwards 
he  could  repeat  nearly  the  whole  without  balk  or 
falter. 

I  believe  it  is  almost  universally  true,  that 
those  who  possess  natural  talents  for  excelling 
in  the  higher  departments  of  oratory,  are,  in 
early  youth,  fond  of  an  inflated  and  overwrought 

*  So  much  was  young  Bascom  charmed  with  this  work,  that  he 
wrote  to  the  author  a  letter,  in  praise  of  it ;  and  proposing  the  gen- 
eral circulation  of  the  book  in  the  western  country. 


44  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

style,  abounding  in  superfluous  expletives,  and 
"great  swelling  words,"  and  hence  the  early 
performances  and  productions  of  those  who  have 
subsequently  become  distinguished  for  fine  impas- 
sioned and  declamatory  eloquence,  hive  usually 
f  illen  under  the  severe  censure  of  staid  and  sober 
critics.  And  so  generally  has  this  been  the  case, 
that,  with  many  persons,  this  very  f  lultiness  in 
youth  is  looked  on  rather  as  a  promise  of  final 
success,  than  an  indication  of  failure  in  an  attempt 
to  acquire  eminence  in  popular  oratory.  Regarded 
in  this  light,  it  must  be  confessed  that  young 
Bascom's  early  style  promised  unequaled  success, 
for  while  the  young  and  the  unlearned  listened 
with  wonder  and  awe,  sedate  critics,  who  apply 
the  standard  of  the  man  to  measure  the  stature 
of  the  boy,  shook  their  heads  ominously,  and  old 
men  with  gray  hairs  and  round  coats  looked  sad, 
and  said,  "  He  would  make  a  fine  lawyer,  3r 
statesman,  but  he  is  not  the  stuff  of  which  to 
make  a  Methodist  preacher." 

Astonishingly  great  was  the  improvement  made 
by  Bascom  during  this  year;  about  the  capital 
he  not  only  had  access  to  books,  but  to  men  of 
cultivated  minds  and  m.mners.  The  war  with 
Great  Britain  had  but  fairly  opened.  Chillicothe 
was  an  important  rendezvous,  and  here  he  met 
at  once  the  wisdom  and  the  chivalry  of  the  State, 
and  Bascom  was  the  youth  to  make  a  gain  of 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.         45 

all  these  favoring  circumstances.  There  was 
indeed  a  pervading  excitement  in  the  spirit  and 
circumst  uices  of  the  times  with  which  he  strongly 
sympathized,  and  which  aided  greatly  the  rapid 
development  of  his  powers.  Probably  no  locality  in 
the  west  could  have  exerted  a  greater  influence  on 
young  Bascom,  at  that  particular  time,  than  Chilli- 
cothe  and  its  vicinity.  Here  resided  an  ex-gov- 
ernor, a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  several 
other  prominent  citizens,  who  were  Methodist  local 
preachers  —  here  collected  the  learning,  the  civil 
authorities  and  the  military  talent  of  the  common- 
wealth—  to  this  place  were  brought,  in  the 
autumn  of  this  year,  the  officers  and  soldiers 
taken  prisoners  by  Commodore  Perry,  in  the 
capture  of  the  British  fleet  on  Lake  Erie,  and 
from  all  these  sources  he  was  constantly  gathering 
up  knowledge. 

But  we  are  not  to  infer,  because  Mr.  Bascom 
was  diligently  employed  in  the  ardent  pursuit  of 
literature  and  general  knowledge,  he  was  therefore 
lacking  in  ministerial  zeal,  or  in  the  cultivation  of 
personal  piety ;  and  as  there  has  been  a  general 
mistake  on  this  subject,  I  think  it  due  to  his 
character,  to  insert  here  an  extract  from  a  private 
unpretending  journal  which  he  kept  while  on  this 
circuit,  in  which  he  noted  his  labors  and  experience 
from  day  to  day.  Its  first  entry  is  dated  Chilli« 
cothe,  Thos.  Hind's  house,  Oct.  1813. 


46         LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

"September  7,  1813.  I  was  appointed  by  the 
Western  [Ohio]  conference  to  Deer  creek  circuit. 
'  jept.  30,  amved  at  my  circuit.  Oct.  1,  2,  3,  and 
i,  I  attended  a  camp  meeting  in  the  neighboring 
circuit,  and  tried  to  preach  and  had  a  pretty  good 
time.  Oct.  6,  filled  my  first  appointment  on  my 
circuit  —  felt  very  low  in  spirits,  the  people  being 
dull  and  dead.  Resorted  to  the  woods  and  prayed, 
though  sorely  tempted  to  believe  the  Lord  had  no 
work  for  me  to  do  here.  Returned  to  the  house 
and  held  family  prayers — felt  my  sorrows  measur- 
ably dissipated,  and  light  and  glory  began  to  break 
into  my  soul. 

"Oct.  7.  Rode  five  miles  to  my  appointment — 
Nobody  out  to  meeting.  Spent  the  day  in  reading, 
writing,  prayer,  and  meditation.  I  feel  calmness 
of  mind,  and  serenity  of  soul,  but  no  sensible  or 
powerful  manifestation  of  the  love  of  God. 

"Oct.  8,  was  a  rest-day,  and  a  day  of  peace  to 
my  soul.  Rode  eleven  miles  to  my  next  appoint 
ment,  and  spent  the  evening  in  prayer  and 
meditation,  and  felt  sensible  manifestations  at  the 
time  of  the  evening  sacrifice.  Felt  the  necessity 
of  redeeming  time  and  living  near  the  Lord,  and 
promised  to  be  more  faithful  in  the  discharge  of 
duty.  Lord,  hear  thy  needy  creature's  cry,  and 
let  his  prayer  come  up  unto  thee. 

"Oct.  9.  Tried  to  preach  to  about  sixty  people, 
and  had  a  precious  time.     Some  praised  God,  but 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  47 

others  remained  without  strength.  —  I  meet  with 
some  powerful  temptations,  but  grace  is  my  strong 
fortress.  Lord,  send  forth  thy  light  and  thy  truth, 
and  let  them  guide  me. 

'  In  fierce  temptation's  darkest  hour 
Shield  me  from  sin  and  Satan's  power, 
Tear  every  idol  from  thy  throne, 
And  reign,  my  Saviour,  reign  alone.' 

•*  Read  Dow  on  the  rights  of  man — read  a  great 
deal  in  the  New  Testament,  and  studied  grammar. 
0,  may  I  possess  the  spirit  of  my  station. 

"  In  the  evening  preached  again,  on  the  general 
resurrection  —  an  awful  time  —  took  two  into 
society. 

"  Oct.  10.  Preached  the  funeral  of  Henry  Carr, 
of  Lexington,  Ky.,  who  died  on  his  return  from  the 
north  western  army.  Rode  five  miles  in  the 
evening  to  a  prayer  meeting,  exhorted  the  people 
to  holiness,  and  felt  very  well.  Sat  up  till  very 
late  for  supper.  Went  to  bed  and  slept  cold  and 
uneasy — rose  but  little  before  sunrise,  prayed  with 
the  femily — retired  to  the  woods,  where  I  found 
the  Lord  precious.  Read  the  bible,  and  some  of 
Fletcher's  masterly  productions  —  wrote  some 
letters,  and  so  spent  the  morning  before  preaching. 
Help  me,  Lord,  to-day. 

"Oct.  11.  Tried  to  preach  on  the  necessity  of 
regeneration,  had  an  uncommon  time  —  the  power 
of  the  Lord  was  present,  and  many  trembled  before 


iS  LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

Him.  Met  the  class,  and  had  a  profitable  waiting 
on  the  Lord.  After  dinner  rode  to  my  next 
appointment. 

"Oct.  12.  Rose  pretty  early,  fed  my  horse, 
attended  to  secret  prayer,  returned  to  the  house 
and  prayed  with  the  family.  Felt  low  in  spirits, 
waited  a  long  time  for  breakfast  —  read  the  expe- 
rience of  Nehemiah  Duncan  —  thought  much  on 
the  solemn  importance  of  my  mission  and  call  to 
the  work  of  the  ministry.  About  one  o'clock  an 
alarm  was  raised  in  the  neighborhood  that  a  child, 
just  beginning  to  talk,  had  wandered  away  into 
the  woods  and  was  lost.  We  all  turned  out  and 
searched  the  woods  until  about  sunset,  when  we 
found  the  lost  child  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from 
its  home.  This  alarm  having  collected  a  good 
many  people,  advantage  was  taken  of  it  to  make 
an  appointment  for  preaching  that  night  at  a 
school  house.  I  felt  truly  well  towards  the  last 
of  the  discourse,  and  I  trust  good  was  done. 

"Oct.  13.  Rose  very  early — fled  to  the  woods 
and  prayed — fed  my  horse,  prayed  with  the  f  imily 
—  ate  my  breakfast,  and  started  for  my  next 
preaching  place.  After  riding  about  six  miles,  met 
the  man  at  whose  house  I  was  to  preach,  and  he 
informed  me  there  would  not  be  any  one  at  home; 
so  I  rode  through  the  neighborhood  until  I  found 
a  place  to  preach  at,  and  to  lodge  at.  Sent  round 
and  called  in  the  neighbors  to  preaching.     These 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  49 

people  appear  kind,  but  prodigiously  filthy,  and 
filthiness  I  hate.  At  twelve  o'clock  I  preached 
io  about  fifteen  souls,  on  the  danger  of  neglecting 
salvation. 

"Started  for  my  next  appointment,  rode  till 
after  sunset,  but  failed  to  reach  the  place,  having 
missed  my  way.  I  finally  found  an  old  cabin 
or  hut,  at  which  1  had  to  tarry  for  the  night,  but 
met  with  hard  fare ;  I  succeeded,  however,  in 
getting  some  green  corn  for  my  horse,  and  a 
straw  bed  for  myself  by  paying  a  high  price  for 
them.  Rose  very  early,  and  as  soon  as  it  was 
light  started,  and  after  riding  several  miles 
through  a  very  heavy  rain,  I  reached  the  house 
I  aimed  to  find  the  evening  before.  The  family 
received  me  very  kindly;  after  praying  with  them 
I  enjoyed  a  very  hearty  breakfast,  having  eaten 
nothing  for  eighteen  or  twenty  hours.  Feel 
calmness  of  soul,  but  not  so  much  engaged  as 
I  wish  to  be.  Lord,  breathe  thy  Holy  Spirit  on 
me.  About  noon  set  off  for  my  next  appoint- 
ment—  still  cold  and  rainy — reached  the  place 
after  sunset.  Next  morning  was  sorely  tempted, 
wrestled  in  prayer  at  my  bedside,  then  went  to 
the  woods  and  prayed  until  I  felt  better,  returned 
and  prayed  in  the  family;  read  some  in  the  Bible, 
my  old  companion,  also  a  sermon  of  Rev.  Free- 
born Garrettson  on  the  union  of  the  graces,  an 
excellent  piece  of  work.     At  twelve  o'clock  tried 

4 


50  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

to  preach  to  about  a  dozen  people,  and  believe 
good  was  done. 

"On  the  15th  October,  as  I  was  riding  through 
the  barrens,  my  horse  started,  stumbled,  and  came 
near  throwing  me  off.  The  thought  struck  me, 
how  easily  might  I,  but  for  a  kind  Providence, 
have  been  thrown  and  killed;  in  a  moment 
another  impression :  perhaps  that  stumble  of  my 
horse  was  intended  to  save  my  life,  by  preventing 
some  lurking  Indian  or  savage  white  man  from 
shooting  me  from  his  hiding  place.  I  quickly 
looked  around  and  saw,  or  thought  I  saw,  a  man 
peeping  from  behind  a  tree.  It  may  have  been 
imagination,  but  just  then  I  heard  some  one 
whistle  in  a  thicket  about  a  hundred  yards  distant, 
as  if  giving  a  signal.  I  was  greatly  alarmed, 
every  moment  expecting  some  one  to  shoot  at  me. 
Just  then  I  discovered  two  men  creeping  out  of 
a  thicket,  having  the  appearance  and  equipments 
of  armed  Indians.  Whether  they  were  Indians 
or  white  men,  I  never  knew,  for  in  my  fright  1 
put  the  whip  to  my  horse,  and  fled  at  full  speed 
The  whole  appeared  to  me  like  a  providential 
preservation." 

I  have  given  the  foregoing  from  Mr.  Bascom's 
journal,  to  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  his 
manner  of  life,  his  trials  and  mental  exercises;  but 
these  records  are  too  extended  to  be  transcribed 
into   this   work.     It   may  not   be   uninteresting, 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  51 

however,  to  give  some  occasional  sketches  from 
this  journal,  as  being  well  calculated  to  show  that 
the  life  of  a  traveling  preacher  at  that  day  was 
far  from  being  one  of  ease,  and  to  show  that 
Bascom  shunned  none  of  the  hardships  or  toils 
that  came  in  the  way  of  his  work. 

A  few  days  after  the  last  named  date,  he  had 
to  make  his  way  to  his  appointment,  a  distance 
of  seven  miles,  through  the  woods  without  road  or 
path,  guided  only  by  occasional  blazes  on  the  trees. 

On  the  24th  October  we  find  him  at  a  village 
where  there  was  no  regular  preaching,  where  he 
met  an  old  preacher  desirous  to  preach,  who,  he 
says,  "despised  government  and  opposed  all 
denominations,  and  especially  the  Methodists." 
He  referred  the  matter  to  the  people,  and  they 
decided  that  Bascom  should  preach,  which  he  did. 

"Oct.  28.  Preached  to  a  large  congregation 
and  had  a  good  time.  Had  my  feelings  much 
hurt  by  some  of  the  old  members,  who  claim  to 
exercise  domination  over  their  preachers,  and 
require  conformity  to  all  their  notions. 

"Nov.  1.  Spent  with  my  senior  preacher  and 
presiding  elder- — was  much  wounded  by  some  of 
the  brethren.  One  of  them  went  so  far  as  to  say 
that  unless  I  quit  preaching  so  ftoivenj^  I  might 
preach  till  doomsday  in  the  afternoon,  and  no  one 
would  ever  be  converted  by  it;  but  the  Lord 
knows  my  heart. 


52  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

"Nov.  24.  Exhorted  three  or  four  persons, 
no  more  having  come  Dut  to  meeting.  When 
meeting  was  over  I  started  out  to  see  some  of  the 
members,  and  know  why  they  did  not  attend 
church.  The  first  house  I  visited  I  found  the 
lady  very  tender,  and  much  distressed  about 
neglecting  public  worship,  and  she  confessed,  with 
reluctance  and  we'eping,  that  the  opposition  of 
her  husband  was  the  cause.  At  the  next  house 
the  lady  seemed  rather  to  take  my  visit  in  ill 
part,  at  first.  I  told  her  I  had  been  sent  to  the 
circuit  to  preach,  and  if  the  people  would  not 
come  to  meeting  I  would  meet  them  at  their 
houses.  She  then  cooled  down  and  thanked  me 
for  calling;  I  prayed  with  the  family  and  leflfc 
them.  Nov.  28.  Preached  in  Chillicothe  on  the 
mission  of  Messiah — met  th^ee  classes. 

"Dec.  2.  Rode  to  my  appointment  and 
preached  to  about  fifty  souls.  When  I  was  about 
half  done,  the  chimney  smoked  to  such  degree 
as  to  drive  us  all  out  of  the  house.  But  we  took 
all  the  fire  out,  and  returned — had  a  precious 
time.  That  night  preached  again,  and  had  a 
time  of  great  power. 

"  Dec.  9.  Rode  to  Washington,  Fayette  county, 
but  as  nobody  came  to  meeting,  I  passed  to  my 
next  appointment;  in  a  mile  or  two  came  to  a  creek 
which  was  high,  ventured  in  and  had  to  swim  it — ■ 
got  myself  wet,  and  my  saddle-bags  full  of  watei; 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  53 

SO  that  books  and  clothes  proved  no  better  than 
myself — emptied  the  water  out  of  my  saddle-bags, 
and  pushed  on  to  my  place  of  destmation." 

On  the  15th  he  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and 
narrowly  escaped  with  life. 

"Sunday,  Dec.  25.  Rode  to  my  appointment- 
had  a  lime  long  to  be  remembered.  Rode  to 
Chillicothe  —  quite  unwell  —  got  brother  T.  [Tiffin 
probably]  to  preach  at  the  church,  while  I  went  to 
preach  to  the  British  prisoners;  but  they  would 
not  permit  me  to  preach,  so  I  was  free  from  them. 
Met  a  class :  —  at  three  o'clock  John  Emmet,  then  a 
member  of  the  Legislature,  preached  for  me — met 
two  classes :  at  night  Dr.  Monnett  gave  us  a  fine 
discourse  on  a  pretty  subject." 

The  following  entry  occurs  on  the  31st.  "Now, 
on  this  evening  of  the  last  day  of  the  year  1813, 
I  covenant,  that  if  the  Lord  will  bless  me,  and 
establish  my  ways  as  a  Methodist  preacher  and 
minister  of  Christ,  I  will  be  more  faithful  and  live 
more  humble,  God  being  my  helper.  Amen. 
Dec.  31,  1813.  — H.  B.  Bascom. 

"Jan.  1,  1814.  Preached  to  about  fifty  souls, 
the  Lord  was  with  us.  Got  brother  G.  [Goldsbury] 
to  preach  at  night  —  had  a  precious  time.  After 
preaching  had  a  prayer  meeting,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob  was  with  us.  Jan.  2.  Preached  twice,  and 
I  believe,  eternal  good  was  done. 

"Jan.  3.    Rode  six  miles,  preached  and  met  the 


54  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

class  —  felt  abundantly  refreshed,  and  encouraged 
to  be  more  f  lithful,  that  the  Lord  may  revive  his 
work  in  the  circuit. 

"  Jan.  5.  Rode  seven  miles,  preached  and  met 
class,  we  felt  that  our  God  was  intimately  nigh! 
Rode  three  miles^  and  preached  at  night,  and  had 
a  right  precious  sermon. 

"Jan.  6.  Rode  eighteen  miles  and  preached. 
Took  dinner  and  rode  three  miles  to  my  evening 
appointment  in  a  little  town  —  the  house  was 
crowded.  Just  as  I  read  my  text  a  young  woman 
took  her  stand  by  me,  so  near  as  to  touch  me  ;  I 
turned  and  look  her  sternly  in  the  face,  but  she 
was  as  brcizen  as  Satan  himself  I  stepped  off 
toward  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  she  then  took 
another  position.  I  then  proceeded  with  my  dis- 
course with  liberty  and  apparent  effect.  It  was 
the  third  Methodist  sermon  ever  preached  in 
that  place.     Took  eleven  members  into  society. 

"Jan.  7.  Had  ten  miles  to  ride  to  my  preaching 
place ;  on  the  way  got  into  a  quagmire,  where  my 
horse  sank  down  midsides  deep.  With  great 
difficulty,  and  after  a  long  time,  I  got  him  out, 
but  very  seriously  injured.  I  managed,  however, 
to  I'each  my  appointment,  preached,  met  the  class, 
and  the  Lord  was  with  us.  Li  the  evening  rode  to 
the  house  of  my  old  friend  Goldsbury,  and  spent 
the  night  with  him  very  pleasently. 

"Jan.    8.       Rode    to    my   appointment,    and 


LIJE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  55 

preached  to  about  thirty  souls,  on  the  obligations 
of  religion;  met  the  class,  and  then  rode  to  brother 
Smith's,  where  I  had  to  leave  my  horse  and  get 
another." 

On  the  15th  he  attended  his  quarterly  meeting 
at  Old  Town,  Ross  co.  0.  Many  things  had  been 
said  against  Mr.  Bascom,  and  he  had  come  to 
suspect  a  great  lack  of  charity  m  the  feelings  of  his 
brethren  towards  him.  Under  the  influence  of  this 
suspicion,  when  it  was  necessary  for  the  quarterly 
conference  to  continue  its  session  on  S:iturday  night, 
in  the  upper  room  of  the  house,  while  Bascom  had 
to  preach  below,  he  was  tempted  to  think  that  they 
were  there  to  listen  to  him  as  critics  and  censors, 
with  the  intention  of  fault-finding.  This  was 
uncharitable  in  him  ;  yet  the  feeling  of  friendless- 
ness  that  possessed  his  mind  had  the  effect  to  drive 
him  for  help  to  that  friend,  who  sticketh  closer  than 
a  brother.  He  says :  —  "I  went  down  stairs,  ran 
out  of  doors,  and  bowing  before  God,  begged  Him 
to  help  me  —  came  in,  gave  out  my  hymn,  and 
just  as  I  began  to  pray  I  felt  the  Lord  very  near ; 
the  preachers  up  stairs  perceiving  this,  fell  on  their 
knees,  and  began  to  pray  for  me  with  all  their 
hearts.  Before  I  was  half  done  preaching,  the 
power  of  the  Lord  w^as  displayed  among  us.  Some 
shouted  aloud,  and  the  preachers  up  stairs  cried 
out  'amen'  heartily." 

After  the  quarterly  meeting  he  made  a  visit  to 


56  LIFE   OF    BISHOP   BASOOM. 

his  parents  near  the  Ohio  river.  January  22  he 
arrived  at  his  father's  house,  and  left  there  on 
the  26th  for  his  circuit.  The  manner  in  which 
his  time  was  spent  during  this  visit  is  worthy  of 
notice,  and  especially  by  the  young  preachers  of 
this  day. 

"Sunday  23, 1  preached  to  a  large  congregation, 
and  met  the  class  of  which  I  was  leader  before  I 
began  to  travel.  Had  a  dull  time  until  I  was  about 
half  through  the  class,  I  then  fell  on  my  knees  and 
besought  the  Lord  to  make  bare  his  arm  in  our 
behalf  The  power  of  God  was  felt  by  all  in  the 
house,  three  souls  were  converted,  and  joined  the 
church."  That  night  he  had  an  appointment  in 
Kentucky.  Monday  he  visited  many  of  his  friends, 
and  that  night  preached  again  in  his  father's 
neighborhood.  Tuesday  morning  he  preached,  by 
special  invitation,  at  the  house  of  a  Presbyterian 
gentleman.     That  night  he  preached  again. 

The  next  morning  (26th)  he  took  leave  of  his 
friends,  and  started  back  to  his  circuit.  That  night 
preached  at  the  house  where  he  tarried.  "Next 
morning  rose  early,  fed  my  horse,  prayed  with 
the  family,  and  rode  ten  miles  to  breakfast ; 
while  tarrying  there  read  one  of  Wesley's  sermons 
with  edification ;  then  pursuing  my  journey,  put 
up  in  the  evening  at  a  decent  tavern." 

The  next  morning,  while  waiting  for  his  break- 
fast at  a  tavern,  a  man  swore   profanely  in  his 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  57 

presence;  boy  as  he  was,  he  approached  the 
stranger  and  mildly,  but  very  solemnly,  reproved 
him.     The  man  apologized  and  desisted. 

It  appears  that  he  spent  but  thi^ee  whole  days 
among  his  friends  and  relatives,  and  during  that 
time  preached  five  times,  met  classes,  visited,  &c. 
And  when  on  his  journey,  we  find  him  preaching 
at  night  after  riding  all  day,  and  reading  a  sermon 
while  waiting  for  breakfast,  so  filling  up  all  his 
time  usefully  to  himself  and  others. 

On  the  29th  of  Jan.  he  is  again  on  his  circuit, 
preaches  twice  that  day,  and  twice  the  next,  and 
once  the  day  following  at  a  new  place.  First  and 
second  Feb.  he  had  two  meetings  each  day,  besides 
long  rides.  On  the  7th  he  says:  —  "Rode  five 
miles  and  preached  to  half  a  dozen  souls- — one 
sinner  was  deeply  convicted,  and  cried  aloud  for 
mercy."  On  the  18th  he  had  to  swim  a  dangerous 
stream  to  reach  his  appointment,  and  the  weather 
very  cold.  The  next  day  had  to  do  the  same. 
"Feb.  20.  Met  a  class  at  nine  o'clock,  preached 
at  eleven,  met  a  class  at  twelve,  and  another 
at  three  in  the  afternoon."  About  this  time  we 
find  him  diligently  studying  Blair  and  Beatie. 

Small  congregations  did  not  frighten  or  dis- 
courage him  from  duty — he  says  : — ^'Feb.  23.  I 
found  four  persons,  out  at  meeting  —  I  preached, 
and  truly,  the  Lord  was  with  us." 

On  the  27  th  he  says :  — "  We  had  an  awful 


58  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

time,  three  were    struck  down  by  the  power  of 
God." 

"March  3.  Rode  fourteen  miles  and  preached 
twice;  the  Lord  was  with  us  graciously  both 
times.  That  evening  a  stranger  put  into  my 
hand  a  half  dollar,  for  which  I  was  very  thankful, 
as  I  greatly  needed  it.  Thank  God  for  a  special 
providence." 

His  description  of  a  family  where  he  tarried  on 
the  9th,  is  not  very  flattering.  "  Tried  to  study, 
but  too  much  confusion,  tried  to  pray  in  the  family, 
but  felt  too  dull  —  tried  to  eat  breakfast,  but  the 
victuals  were  too  du'ty  for  any  decent  man  to  eat. 
The  old  man  is  an  idiot,  the  old  woman  a  scold, 
one  son  a  drunkard,  the  other  a  sauce-box,  and 
the  daughter  a  mother  without  a  husband." 

"19.  Preached,  met  a  large  society,  rode  to 
jown,  and  met  the  black  class  at  night.  20.  Met 
class  at  nine,  preached  at  eleven,  met  class  at 
twelve,  and  one  at  three  o'clock." 

There  are  several  things  to  be  gathered  from 
these  daily  notes  worthy  of  notice  :  no  inclemency 
of  weather,  or  badness  of  roads,  nor  ordinary 
danger  prevented  him  from  attending  his  appoint- 
ments. He  went  through  rain,  snow  or  hail,  over 
frozen  roads  and  through  deep  mire,  swimming 
dangerous  streams,  and  surmounting  every  con- 
querable obstacle ;  and  then,  if  he  found  a  large 
number  of  hearers,  his  gratitude  to  God  is  almost 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  59 

always  recorded  in  his  journal  ;  but  if  he  found 
only  four  or  five  persons,  he  invariably  preached, 
and  generally  with  as  much  zeal  and  power  as  if 
he  had  had  a  multitude  to  hear  him.  And  we 
have  seen  that  in  one  instance  at  least,  when  he 
had  but  six  hearers  he  had  one  convert.  He  spent 
no  time  idly.  He  tells  us  the  time  at  which  he 
rose  every  morning,  and  how  he  appropriated 
every  hour  until  his  retiring  to  bed.  By  thus 
redeeming  time  he  was  enabled  to  converse 
enough,  write  much,  pray  much,  ride  a  great  deal, 
read  and  digest  an  astonishing  quantity  of  matter, 
generally  to  preach  twice  a  day,  and  always  under 
ordinary  circumstances  to  meet  all  the  classes 
every  round.  Even  in  Chillicothe,  where  there 
were  four  classes,  he  met  one  on  Saturday  night, 
and  three  on  the  Sabbath. 

Another  trait  of  character  is  this  ;  —  when  he 
h  is  enjoyed  a  comfortable  time  in  preaching,  and 
had  encouraging  success,  his  journal  returns  thanks 
to  God,  and  gives  him  all  the  glory ;  and  when  a 
barren  or  discour.iging  time,  he  always  charges 
himself  with  it,  and  enters  into  self-examination 
to  find  the  cause.  And  his  record  of  nearly  every 
day  closes  with  a  short  prayer  to  God  for  help  and 
strength.  I  have  never  seen  any  other  diaiy,  in 
print  or  manuscript,  that  contains  so  much  of 
severe  self-scrutiny,  or  so  much  of  devout  suppli- 
cation as  this  of  Bascom,  written  in  his  eighteenth 


60         LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

year.  And  perhaps,  we  can  have  no  surer  index 
to  the  real  character  of  a  man  than  his  secret 
nmsingSj  meditations  and  mental  exercises,  com- 
mitted to  a  private  record,  intended  for  the  inspec- 
tion of  no  human  eye  but  his  own. 

In  his  indefatigable  industry,  and  prayerful 
trust  in  God,  we  have  the  true  secret  of  that 
wonderful  power  that  raised  an  ignorant  and  obscure 
boy  to  be  an  honor  to  the  church,  and  a  wonder 
to  the  world. 

From  April  to  June  16,  we  find  no  entry  in  his 
journal,  but  he  informs  us  that  it  was  because  he 
was  most  of  the  time  sick.  Indeed,  at  that 
period,  the  Sciota  valley  was  an  exceedingly 
sickly  region,  and  near  the  end  of  this  year, 
Bascom  says,  that  he  had  suftered  more  sickness 
during  his  stay  on  that  circuit,  than  in  his  whole 
life  before.  Yet  he  says,  "While  I  have  been 
sick  the  Lord  has  been  with  me,  and  I  sensibly 
feel  myself  blessed  with  an  increase  of  humility 
and  gr.ice." 

About  this  time  he  records  the  beginning  of 
what  he  calls  a  "great  affliction  of  mind,"  from 
which  he  prays  to  be  delivered,  but  which  harrased 
him  to  the  very  end  of  life  —  debt  "  A  number 
of  causes  led  to  this  grand  misfortune,"  says  he, 
"as  bad  economy,  loss  on  books  sold  on  the 
circuit,  poverty  and  consequent  want  of  clothing 
when  I  came  on  the  circuit,  helping  my  father  to 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.         61 

some  money,  &c.  But  how  am  I  to  extricate 
myself?  I  am  allowed  only  eighty  dollars  a  year, 
and  have  received  but  seventy  of  that.  God 
only  knows  what  is  to  become  of  me."  In 
August,  he  visited  Circleville,  Pickaway  Co.,  to 
preach,  and  was  there  seized  with  a  dangerous 
bilious  attack  at  the  house  of  Ralph  Osborn,  Esq., 
of  whose  kindness  and  that  of  his  lady,  Bascom 
speaks  in  the  most  grateful  terms.  From  that 
time  until  conference,  his  health  was  very  bad. 
He  frequently  preached,  but  those  efforts  again 
prostrated  him.  His  meditations  during  this 
period  are  most  searching  and  spiritual.  He 
prays  that  God  may  restore  him  and  direct  his 
appointment  to  a  healthy  circuit  the  next  year. 

His  last  entry  in  his  diary  was  made  September 
20,  1814.  ^^ September  19.  I  enjoyed  myself 
better  than  usual  in  soul  and  body.  20.  I  arose 
the  first  one  in  the  house ;  went  to  the  woods  and 
prayed.  Through  the  day  I  read  my  Bible  and 
Whitfield's  sermons.  He  has  a  short  ingenious 
method  of  treating  a  text.  Mark  that  on  the 
burning  bush." 

From  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Bascom  speaks 
in  his  diary  of  his  colleague — Rev.  A.  Cummings, 
and  from  the  tone  of  Mr.  Cummings'  letters  to  him, 
I  infer  that  the  latter  had  the  warmest  friendship 
for,  and  the  utmost  confidence  in  his  young  friend 
Bascom.     One  of  these  letters  dated  two  years 


62  LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

after  they  had  left  the  Deer  Creek  Circuit,  closes 
thus,  "I  have  only  time  to  write  and  let  you 
know  that  I  have  not  forgotten  you,  and  the  good 
times  we  have  hral  together,  as  well  as  what  we 
suffered  together.  Pray  for  me  my  dear  brother. 
Yours  in  love,  A.  Cummings." 


CHAPTER  V. 

SECOND    YEAR TRAVEL    IN    THE   MOUNTAINS. 

Improvement  during  the  Year  —  Faithful  Service  —  Popular  with 
the  Public,  but  the  Reverse  with  Old  Members  —  Cause  of  the  latter 

—  Cold  reception  at  Conference — Objections  to,  and  Predictions 
concerning  him  —  Character  Passed  —  Appointed  to  Guyandotte 
Circuit  in  Western  Virginia  —  Goes  to  his  Work  —  Nature  and 
Extent  of  it  —  Hair  breadth  Escape  from  a  Panther  —  Gets  lost 

—  A  Night  in  the  Mountain  —  Illness  —  Perilous  Adventure  with 
a  Bear — Chased  by  Wolves  —  Misunderstanding  and  Reconcilia 
tion,  showing  Bascom's  true  Character. 

By  the  close  of  this  conference  year,  Bascom 
had  not  only  greatly  extended  his  range  of 
knowledge  both  of  books  and  men,  but  by  contact 
with  the  more  intelligent  of  society,  he  had  been 
enabled  to  cast  off  the  bashfulness  of  the  inexperi- 
enced boy,  and  take  on  the  appearance  and  polish 
of  cultivated   manhood.     He    had   risen  rapidly, 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  63 

and  already  had  become  very  popular  with  a  large 
and  influential  portion  of  society.  Of  all  this  he 
could  not  be  unconscious,  and  as  he  had  labored 
most  dilligently  throughout  the  year,  in  the  work 
assigned  him  —  performed  long  rides,  endured 
severe  hardships,  preached  much,  and  attended 
to  all  the  details  of  pastoral  service  —  he  fondly 
hoped  the  conference  would  rejoice  in  his  pros- 
perity, and  cheer  him  on  with  an  encouraging 
"  well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant ; "  but  most 
of  the  very  causes  which  tended  to  give  him 
popularity  with  the  great  world,  wrought  in  the 
minds  of  many  of  his  plain,  pious,  old  fashioned 
brethren  of  the  conference  a  result  entirely 
different. 

What  were  those  causes  ?  His  personal  appear- 
ance was  exceedingly  attractive  —  his  form  was 
in  all  respects  one  of  the  most  perfect  that  nature 
ever  moulded,  and  in  his  features  was  as  much  of 
manly  beauty  as  can  consist  with  the  highest 
expression  of  mental  power ;  his  movements  were 
rather  elastic  and  graceful,  than  staid  and  preacher- 
like ;  his  apparel  was  neat,  and  in  fashion  differed 
little  from  the  style  of  that  worn  by  secular 
gentlemen  of  respectability ;  and  then,  as  has 
been  remarked,  his  style  was  highly  orna!:e.  He 
was,  to  be  sure,  very  zealous  in  his  appeals, 
pointed  in  rebuking  sin,  and  almost  harsh  in 
denouncing   the   terrors  of   the    law    against  the 


64  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

impenitent  and  incorrigible ;  yet  the  thunderings  of 
Sinai,  as  they  came  from  his  fluent  tongue,  sounded 
eloquently  even  in  the  ears  of  those  against  whom 
they  were  hurled,  and  while  they  trembled  beneath 
the  power  of  his  terrible  words,  they  but  admired 
and  loved  him  the  more  for  the  fervor  and  force- 
fulness  of  his  appeals. 

Such  a  man  —  a  youth  of  eighteen  summers, 
of  elegant  person,  apparel  and  address,  after  whom 
the  learned,  and  wealthy,  and  fashionable  were 
running,  and  with  whom  he  was  becoming  an  idol, 
was  not  the  man  to  get  on  without  some  difficulties 
among  the  Methodists  and  Methodist  preachers 
of  pike-staff  plainness  of  that  day,  and  on  the 
still  sparsely  settled  frontier.  Accordingly  on 
going  to  conference,  though  he  had  made  some 
fast  friends,  he  yet  met  coldness  in  many  from 
whom  he  looked  for  cordiality  and  encouragement. 
This  he  felt  acutely,  for  his  sensibility  was 
exquisite. 

As  he  had  served  in  the  regular  work  but  one 
year,  the  only  question  in  his  case  was  as  to  his 
continuance  on  trial  for  another  year,  yet  there 
were  objections  even  to  this.  What  objections 
were  urged  against  him  in  conference  I  do  not 
know  with  certainty,  but  in  and  out  of  doors,  there 
were  many.  It  was  said,  "  He  gets  his  sermons 
from  books,  and  memorizes  them ; "  but  when 
they  could  not  be  found  in  books,  it  was  concluded 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  65 

that  his  discourses  were  written  out  at  length  and 
committed  to  memory.  This,  however,  was  as 
total  a  mistake  as  the  other:  he  did  neither. 
But  worse  still,  it  was  said,  "he  is  proud" — "a 
clerical  fop" — "ambitious  and  aspiring,"  and  the 
larger  part  seemed  to  take  it  for  granted  that  he 
would  not  remain  long  a  Methodist  preacher,  thai 
he  would  turn  lawyer,  or  "take  the  gown" — that 
he  had  not  principle  and  firmness  to  withstand 
the  caresses  of  the  great,  and  the  tide  of  popular- 
ity flowing  in  upon  him  from  the  world,  and  that 
the  matter  had  better  be  put  to  the  test  at  once. 
And  so  it  was.  That  region  of  western  Virginia 
lying  along  and  between  the  Guyandotte  and 
Great  Kenhawa  rivers,  and  then  belonging  to 
Muskingum  District,  was  embraced  in  one  circuit 
called  Guyandotte.  It  was  a  wild,  rough  country, 
not  inaptly  symbolizing  the  general  character  of 
its  population  at  that  time.  This  circuit  was 
frequently  styled  the  "  Botany  Bay "  of  the  con- 
ference, to  which  the  refractory  or  unpromising 
were  sent  to  "break  them  in,"  or  "drive  them 
off,"  if  incurable.  To  this  circuit  Bascom  was 
sent,  and  without  assistant  or  colleague ;  and  many 
were  the  predictions  that  his  proud  spirit  would 
not  submit.*     Not  a  few  expected,  and  even  his 

*  Bascom,  it  appears,  did  not  attend  the  conference,  owing  pro- 
bably to  his  still  very  feeble  state  of  health ;  and  when  conference  waa 
ended,  no  one  t«-ok  the  trouble  to  inform  him  what  disposition  was 
5 


66  LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

friends  feared,  tnat  he  would  refuse  to  go,  and 
would  withdraw  from  the  church,  or  at  least  from 
the  conference.  Little  did  they  know  of  what 
stuff  he  was  made.  No  doubt  he  was  one  of  the 
last  men  in  that  conference  —  if  indeed  not  the 
very  last —  who  could  have  been  driven  to  such 
a  step.  He  took  leave  of  his  friends,  mounted 
his  horse,  and  was,  in  due  time,  on  his  way  to  the 
mountains  and  valleys  of  Guyandotte  and  Ken- 
hawa.  Here  he  found  long  rides,  rough  roads, 
difficult  streams,  hard  labor,  coarse  fare  and  lean 
compensation ;  yet  nothing  daunted,  he  pressed 
through  all  difficulties,  and  performed  with  fidelity 
the  arduous  labors  assigned  him. 

On  this  circuit  Bascom's  labors  were  so  abun- 
dant that  his  time  for  reading  and  study,  as  well 
as  his  general  opportunities  for  improvement  were 

made  of  his  case,  or  where  he  was  to  labor  the  ensuing  year.  In  this 
state  of  suspense  he  requested  a  rustic  to  make  inquiry  of  one  of  the 
preachers  for  the  desired  information ;  and  his  painful  suspense  was 
terminated  by  the  receipt  of  a  letter  from  his  unpolished  friend,  the 
literature  of  which  seemed  in  admirable  keeping  with  the  intelligence 
it  conveyed.     It  is  a  literary  curiosity,  and  as  such  is  here  inserted: 

"September  29,  1814. 

Agreeabel  to  your  request  I  have  Inquird  for  your  opintment  Br 
quinn  Informs  Me  that  you  are  opinted  to  Giondot  Curcit  and  in 
order  for  you  to  find  it  you  must  Go  down  howken  (Hockhocking) 
to  Athens  and  then  inquire  the  rode  for  galepelece  (Gallipolis)  and 
you  will  there  find  your  Curket." 

Now  "  galepelece  "  was  not  in  his  "  curket "  at  all,  nor  even  in  the 
same  State  with  it,  yet  with  this  card  of  directions  Bascom  had  to 
start  in  quest  of  his  field  of  labor,  and  find  his  "  curket "  as  best 
lie  could 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  67 

very  limited ;  yet  such  a  man  as  he,  will  always 
make  opportunities  for  improvement  when  possible. 
In  winter  this  was  difficult,  as  in  many  of  the 
families  where  he  tarried  —  probably  in  most  of 
them  —  there  was  but  one  room  for  all  uses,  and 
for  all  persons,  and  therefore  the  chances  for  quiet 
study  within  doors  were  small,  but  when  genial 
spring  and  warmer  summer  gave  to  the  lover  of 
nature  and  of  study  the  free  range  of  the  forest, 
he  had  a  wide  woodland  chamber  for  study,  which 
he  preferred  to  all  others.  He  was  indeed  an 
enthusiastic  votary  of  nature,  and  dearly  loved 
her  wild  and  woody  haunts.  When  he  had  done 
the  traveling,  preaching,  and  class-leading,  for 
the  day,  it  was  his  custom  to  take  a  book  and 
wander  into  the  woods,  where  he  not  unfrequently 
remained  until  the  fall  of  dusky  twilight,  or  the 
hooting  of  the  mountain  owl  admonished  him  that 
it  was  time  to  return. 

On  one  of  these  occasions,  having  finished  the 
regular  work  of  the  day,  and  partaken  of  his 
frugal  repast  with  the  hospitable  family  where  he 
sojourned,  he  took  his  book  —  Beatie  on  Truth  — 
and  sought  the  woods.  Soon  he  entered  a  sweet 
wild  valley,  that  nestled  down  between  two  lofty 
mountains,  which  rose  on  either  side,  as  if  to  guard 
his  sacred  retreat ;  he  followed  up  the  lovely  dell 
until  his  eye  rested  on  a  large  spreading  thorn-tree, 
which,  in  addition  to  its  own  dense  foliage,  was  all 


G8  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM 

interwoven  and  mantled  over  with  the  thousand 
tendrils,  and  broad  leaves  of  a  luxuriant  grape  vine, 
presenting  a  shade  of  inviting  coolness,  and  a 
swarded  carpet  of  refreshing  green.  Thither  he 
went,  and  delighted,  cast  himself  upon  this  cool  lap 
of  nature,  to  enjoy  undisturbed  its  delicious  luxury. 
But  scarcely  had  he  opened  the  volume  in  his 
hand  when  a  sense  of  inquietude  came  over  him, 
and  he  could  not  compose  his  mind  to  read.  In 
vain  he  attempted  to  reason  himself  into  composure; 
in  vain  he  assured  himself  that  a  more  charming 
spot  could  not  be  found  in  the  wide  forest  than 
that  he  then  occupied;  his  restlessness  but 
increased  until  it  rose  to  nervous  excitement,  and 
self-reproachingly,  he  rose  up  and  walked  from  the 
spot.  Just  as  he  did  so,  the  friend  with  whom  he 
tarried,  starting  on  a  gunning  expedition,  approached 
him,  and  they  met  a  few  paces  from  the  tree.  At 
this  conjuncture  the  practiced  eye  of  the  hunter 
discovered  what  Bascom's  had  failed  to  detect — in 
a  moment  his  piece  was  leveled,  the  sharp  crack 
of  the  rifle  rang  up  the  valley,  and  as  its  echo  came 
back  from  the  adjacent  hills,  a  huge  ferocious 
panther  dropped  from  its  concealment  among  the 
vine  covered  boughs  of  the  thorn-tree,  and  fell 
dead  on  the  very  spot  from  which  Bascom  had  but 
a  moment  before  arisen,  under  the  promptness  of 
that  strange  restlessness.  Shuddering  at  the  hair- 
breadth escape  he  had  passed,  and  overwhelmed 


LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 


69 


with  a  sense  of  gratitude  to  God,  he  humbly 
acknowledged  that  it  was  the  Lord's  doing,  and 
marvellous  in  his  eyes !  And,  not  long  before  his 
death,  he  expressed  to  the  writer  a  most  firm 
conviction  that  the  mysterious  and  apparently 
causeless  inquietude  which  drove  him  from  beneath 
the  tree,  perhaps  at  the  moment  when  the  ferocious 
beast  was  about  to  pounce  upon  him,  was  the  work 
of  a  special  providence  of  God. 

One  of  his  regular  appointments  was  on  Eik 
river,  about  eight  miles  above  Charleston,  and  his 
next  preaching  place  was  at  the  mouth  of  Linn's 
creek;  to  cross  the  mountain,  the  distance  was 
short,  but  to  go  around  by  Charleston  it  was  about 
twenty  miles.  On  one  occasion  he  determined  to 
pass  over  by  the  short  route,  and  so  save  time  and 
travel.  There  was  only  a  "blind  trace"  to  guide 
him.  But  as  this  was  very  dim  at  last,  and  now 
covered  with  fallen  leaves,  he  soon  lost  it  entirely. 
He  then  hoped,  by  keeping  on  the  proper  course,  to 
reach  his  place  of  destination,  without  a  path ;  but 
after  traveling  many  hours  he  found  no  trace  to 
follow,  and  no  sign  of  human  habitation.  Night 
approached,  and  still  he  saw  no  way  of  escape. 
Hoping  that  he  might  be  heard  by  some  dweller 
in  the  mountain,  or  by  some  wandering  hunter,  he 
shouted  with  all  his  might,  and  then  listened  for 
an  answer ;  but  the  deep  echo  of  his  own  voice, 
coming  back  from  the  caves  and  crags,  was  the  only 


to         LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

response.  The  shades  of  evening  were  setting 
down  on  the  mountain,  yet  no  relief  appeared,  and 
Mr.  Bascom  began  to  cast  about  for  some  way  of 
passing  the  night  in  safety  in  those  dreary  solitudes. 
At  length  he  discovered  a  fallen  tree,  in  which  was 
a  hollow  large  enough  to  admit  him:  here  he 
securely  tied  his  horse,  and  thrusting  his  body  into 
the  hollow,  drew  his  saddle  in  after  him  to  close  the 
entrance  for  protection  against  cold,  and  the  wild 
beasts.  Commending  himself  to  the  protection  of 
Heaven,  he  passed  the  night  in  the  best  way  he  could, 
surrounded  by  the  howling  of  wolves  and  wintry 
winds.  The  morning  found  him  chilled  from  the 
cold,  weak  from  hunger,  and  but  little  refreshed  by 
his  romantic  night's  rest;  but  it  was  no  time  for 
inaction  ;  so  he  adopted  his  plan  of  operation,  and 
then  promptly  set  about  its  execution.  That  plan 
was,  instead  of  wandering  about  at  random  as  on 
the  preceding  day,  to  descend  wherever  he  could, 
and  taking  the  first  stream  he  could  find,  follow  it 
to  its  confluence  with  a  larger,  and  so  on  until  he 
should  be  conducted  either  to  the  Elk  or  Kanawha 
river.  This  he  did,  and  about  sunset  reached  the 
Kanawha  at  the  mouth  of  Witche's  creek,  and 
soon  after,  the  hospitable  abode  of  Mr.  Linn 
Morris,  where  he  was  cordially  welcomed  and 
entertained. 

Hunger,  cold,  fatigue  and  excitement  brought 
on  an  attack  of  fever,  with  which  he  was  confined 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  71 

for  several  weeks  ;  but  most  kindly  nursed  by  the 
hospitable  family  of  Mr.  Morris. 

Wild  beasts  were  not  rare  in  that  region  at 
the  date  of  our  narative;  they  supplied  every 
table,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  with  meat,  and 
every  man  was  a  hunter  —  occasionally,  if  not 
professionally;  and  if  the  minister  of  that  day  did 
not  have  to  '  fight  with  beasts  at  Ephesus,'  he  at 
least  stood  a  good  chance  to  encounter  them  in 
some  form  on  Guyandotte.  And  while  in  this 
line,  I  will  relate  another  adventure  of  Mr.  Bascom 
when  on  this  circuit,  in  which  a  wild  beast  was  a 
party.  I  am  not  sure  of  the  strict  correctness  of 
my  recollection  as  to  all  the  details,  but  can  vouch 
for  the  substance. 

Far  back  from  the  river  in  a  sequestered  dell 
under  the  mountain  spurs,  Bascom  had  a  regular 
preaching-place.  The  inhabitants  were  not  huddled 
together  in  dense  settlements,  but  scattered  at 
wide  intervals  among  the  fastnesses  and  valleys 
of  the  mountains.  When  preaching-day  arrived, 
the  mountaineers  might  be  seen  gathering  in  from 
different  localities  at  distances  varying  from  two  to 
ten  miles,  and  by  modes  of  conveyance  sufficiently 
unique  to  excite  the  attention  of  the  uninitiated. 
Here  might  be  seen  approaching  the  rustic  place 
of  worship,  a  man  on  horseback,  carrying  his  wife 
behind  him  on  the  same  horse ;  there  you  might 
see  a  female,  dressed  in  neat  homespun,  mounted 


72  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

on  an  indifferent  horse,  around  the  neck  of  which 
hung  a  bell,  the  clatter  of  which  was  temporarily 
hushed  by  the  wisp  of  leaves  —  behind  her  rides 
a  child,  while  she  carries  another  on  her  lap — her 
husband,  in  a  blue  hunting-shirt,  with  pouch  and 
gun,  leads  the  way  down  the  steep  winding  path, 
two  or  three  larger  children,  with  sun-bleached 
hair  and  sun-browned  faces,  following  behind  as  a 
rear  guard  :  a  group  of  five  or  ten,  comprehending 
the  meeting-goers  from  one  glen,  or  gorge,  might 
be  seen  approaching  on  foot,  in  Indian  file,  through 
the  mountain  passes,  to  the  rustic  temple;  and 
though  a  stranger,  would  judge  that  half  a  score 
of  souls  could  not  be  mustered  at  one  place,  and 
especially  on  a  call  of  religious  duty,  when  the 
appointed  time  arrived,  they  came  pouring  in  from 
their  invisible  habitations,  like  the  clansmen  of  some 
Highland  chief  at  the  well  known  signal  for  a 
grand  rally.  And  he  who  expected  to  find  these 
people  barbarously  ignorant  of  the  value  of  I  ruth 
and  the  benefits  of  preaching,  would  find  his  mistake. 
These  mountain  Christians  were  people  of  one 
book,  and  however  little  they  knew  of  Grecian  and 
Roman  classics,  few  people  were  better  acquainted 
with  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  and  few  better 
prepared  to  detect  errors  in  the  great  elements 
of  theology  than  they.  If  a  preacher  advanced 
anything  novel,  even  hypothetically,  it  was  well 
to  be  prepared  for  defending  it,  for  he  was  sure 


LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  73 

to  be  called  on  for  such  defence,  by  the  first  old 
lady  in  whose  company  he  happened  to  fall. 

But  I  was  about  to  report  an  incident.  On  one 
of  Bascom's  periodical  visits  to  this  place,  the 
preacher  had  arrived,  most  of  the  congregation 
had  assembled,  and  many  were  exchanging  salu- 
tations about  the  door,  others  were  still  dropping 
in,  and  the  preacher  with  his  saddle-bags  on  his 
arm,  was  conversing  with  a  brother  from  another 
neighborhood  about  making  an  appointment  at  a 
new  place,  when  the  report  of  a  gun  was  heard  but 
a  short  distance  from  the  place.  This  was  too 
common  an  occurrence  to  excite  much  interest, 
until  a  shout,  and  then  the  yelp  of  a  dog  were 
heard  in  the  direction  from  which  the  report 
proceeded,  and  the  next  minute  a  bear  was  seen 
running  by  the  place  of  meeting,  pursued  by  a 
dog.  Instantly  two  or  three  rifles  were  discharged 
after  him,  but  he  was  too  distant  for  the  balls  to 
take  effect.  Two  or  three  other  dogs  joined  in 
the  pursuit,  and  directly  nearly  every  male  on  the 
ground  followed  in  the  chase.  The  preacher 
seeing  his  congregation  gone,  dropped  his  whip 
and  saddle-bags  where  he  stood,  and,  being  ex- 
ceedingly swift  on  foot,  he  was  soon  ahead  of  all 
his  people,  and  but  little  in  rear  of  the  dogs.  The 
woods  were  dense,  and  in  a  very  short  time,  bear 
dogs,  and  preacher  were  out  of  sight  of  the 
following  crowd.     The  latter  pursued  by  the  cry 


/4  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

of  the  dogs  and  drippings  of  blood  of  the  wounded 
bear,  but  every  moment  the  sound  became  more 
faint  and  distant,  and  old  bear  hunters  began  to 
fear  that  the  fleet ness  of  the  preacher  might  bring 
him  into  serious  peril,  should  the  bear  make  a 
stand  against  his  pursuers,  while  at  such  a  distance 
in  advance  of  the  company  as  to  put  him  beyond 
the  reach  of  immediate  help.  This  fear  came 
near  to  being  realized;  for  the  bear,  unable  to 
climb,  by  reason  of  the  wound  in  his  arm^  and 
alike  unable  to  elude  his  enemies  by  flight, 
planted  himself  against  a  tree  and  prepared  to 
defend  himself  to  the  utmost.  The  dogs  were 
instantly  around  him,  and  at  once  a  furious  fight 
began.  Practiced  dogs  will  not  close  with  a  bear 
but  by  compulsion,  or  when  they  have  a  very 
decided  advantage,  but  while  some  make  a  feint 
in  front,  the  others  snap  him  in  the  rear,  and  then 
fly  off  before  he  can  turn  on  them,  and  so  on 
alternating  the  attack  as  he  changes  front;  but  of 
the  three  dogs  engaged  in  this  conflict,  one  only 
had  learned  the  necessity  of  these  cautionar}^ 
movements.  When  Bascom  came  up  with  the 
combatants  —  which  was  in  a  very  few  moments 
—  the  trained  dog  was  playing  around  for  an 
opportunity  of  a  rear  cut  to  his  enemy,  while  the 
others  were  fiercely  baying  him  in  front,  apparently 
debating  the  expediency  of  rushing  upon  his 
gnashing  teeth  and  threatening   claws.     Bascom 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  75 

saw  the  posture  of  the  parties,  and,  cutting  a  stout 
bludgeon,  instantly  but  rashly  decided  on  interven- 
tion, if  necessary.  Advancing  nearer,  he  encour- 
aged the  hesitating  dogs  to  the  onset,  and  they 
rushed  on  the  foe ;  the  third  dog  saw  his  oppor- 
tunity, to  attack  from  behind,  and  for  a  few 
moments  the  fight  was  furious ;  but  soon  the  bear 
gave  one  of  the  dogs  such  a  blow  as  sent  him 
away  howling  with  pain,  and  deeply  gashed, 
another  he  seized  in  his  terrible  embrace,  and 
appeared  as  if  he  would  crush  every  bone  in  his 
body  in  a  moment.  By  this  time  Bascom  had  got 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  enemy,  and  raised  his 
club  to  bring  it  down  on  the  head  of  the  foe  with 
crushing  energy.  The  bear  had  taken  a  sort  of 
sitting  half-erect  posture,  with  his  back  against 
the  tree,  and  as  the  club  descended  he  managed 
to  evade  the  force  of  the  blow,  and  catching  the 
bludgeon  in  his  mouth,  he  struck  his  fangs  through 
it,  and  held  it  fast,  still  holding  the  dog  in  his 
agonizing  hug.  Unwilling  to  be  thus  foiled, 
Bascom,  having  drawn  his  knife  to  cut  and  trim 
his  club,  and  h;iving  no  time  to  return  it  to  his 
pocket,  still  held  it  in  his  hand,  now  struck  it 
into  the  bear's  side;  it  was,  however,  too  small 
to  produce  instant  death,  but  greatly  exasperated 
the  wounded  animal.  Either  probably  regarding 
this  as  foul  play,  or  thinking  the  preacher  an 
enemy  more  worthy  than  the  dogs,  to  engage  his 


76  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

powerS' — I  am  glad  to  say  he  did  not  live  to  teli 
which  —  bruin  dropped  the  dog  from  his  embrace, 
and  made  a  plunge  at  his  new  enemy.  A  few 
seconds  before  this,  the  hunter,  whose  rifle  had 
wounded  the  bear,  hsiving  outrun  his  fellows, 
emerojed  from  the  thicket  a  few  rods  from  the 
scene  of  action.  At  a  glance,  he  saw  Bascom's 
danger  —  cist  down  his  gun,  as  he  flew  towards 
the  spot  with  the  speed  that  terror  imparts,  and 
drew  from  its  sheath  his  long  hunting  knife.  As 
the  bear  made  a  plunge  that  must  have  brought 
the  preacher  fully  within  his  power,  two  of  the 
do2:s  seized  him  behind,  and  broke  the  force  of  the 
movement,  but  yet  he  caught  the  leg  of  Bascom's 
pantaloons  in  his  teeth,  and  in  spite  of  the  efforts 
of  the  faithful  dogs,  would  have  drawn  him  within 
the  grasp  of  his  killing  embrace,  but  that  at  this 
perilous  conjuncture,  the  hunter  plunged  his  long 
keen  blade  to  the  very  hilt  into  the  heart  of  the 
furious  beast,  and  with  a  groan  he  sank  down 
dead,  still  holding  the  preacher's  pantaloons 
between  his  clenched  teeth. 

The  rest  of  the  company  came  up  —  the 
adventure  was  talked  over  —  comments  were 
pleasantly  made  on  the  preacher's  fleetness  and 
courage  —  the  bear  was  dragged  back  to  the 
meeting-place,  skinned  and  hung  up  —  the  con- 
gregation collected  in  the  house,  the  new-made 
young  bear  fighter  preached  with  uncommon  life. 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  77 

an  uncommonly  interesting  class-meeting  followed, 
and  a  large  proportion  of  the  company  dined 
together  that  day  on  the  '^  preacher's  bear." 

I  have  yet  another  incident  of  the  same  class 
to  relate,  the  scene  of  which  is  laid  in  this  same 

circuit.     It  is  famished  me  by  Professor  M 

who  was  a  student  at  Augusta  College,  where  it 
was  related  by  Bascom  to  his  class.  "He  was," 
says  Prof  M.,  "in  the  habit  of  frequently  amusing 
and  delighting  the  class  during  the  unexpired 
hour  after  recitation,  by  detailing  incidents  and 
adventures  which  occurred  in  the  early  part  of  his 
career  as  an  itinerant  preacher;  among  the  rest  he 
relates  the  following : 

"During  one  of  the  years  of  my  early  ministerial 
career,  I  was  sent  to  one  of  the  mountainous 
circuits  of  western  Virginia.  The  face  of  the 
country  generally  was  exceedingly  rugged  and 
precipitous  —  so  much  so,  that  frequently  for 
miles,  in  going  from  one  appointment  to  another, 
there  was  no  road  except  a  narrow  bridle-path. 
It  so  happened  on  one  occasion,  while  winding 
along  one  of  these  mountain  pathways,  on  a  dark 
and  dreary  afternoon  in  mid-winter,  that,  before  I 
was  aware  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  night  was 
upon  me.  I  had  but  an  imperfect  knowledge  of 
the  localities  of  the  country,  and  consequently 
entertained  some  doubt  as  to  whether  I  should  be 
able  to  reach  any  house,  where  I  might  lodge  for 


78  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

the  night.  While  I  was  reflecting  upon  my  very 
unpleasant  condition,  suddenly  the  startling  howl 
of  wolves,  in  the  distance,  reached  my  ear.  In  a 
few  moments  the  sound  was  nearer  and  more 
distinct.  I  was  at  once  convinced,  that  they 
were  on  my  track,  and  my  only  hope  of  safety 
and  of  life,  was  in  my  horse.  I  accordingly 
quickened  speed,  and  hurried  on  as  rapidly  as 
the  nature  of  the  blind  and  rugged  path  would 
allow.  Nearer  and  louder,  and  more  appalling 
were  the  howls  of  my  hungry  pursuers,  until  1 
began  to  be  painfully  suspicious  that  I  was  the 
doomed  victim  of  their  savage  ferocity.  Yet  I 
hurried  on,  while  the  wolves  were  approaching, 
nearer  and  still  nearer.  At  length  my  hat  was 
knocked  off  by  a  limb,  and  was  torn  to  atoms 
in  an  instant  by  the  wolves.  They  were  now  so 
near  me,  that,  notwithstanding  the  darkness,  I 
could  see  them  quite  distinctly.  In  this  moment 
of  extremity,  I  discovered  a  light  just  before  me, 
and  hastening  on  towards  it,  I  dismounted  and 
leaped  over  the  fence,  just  as  the  wolves  had  come 
dp  within  a  few^  feet  of  my  horse.  Disappointed 
of  their  prey,  they  returned  to  the  woods,  and  I 
passed  the  night  in  the  hospitable  cabin  of  the 
rude  mountaineer.  Many  years  after  this  incident 
I  preached  in  Charleston,  Va. — when  I  descended 
from  the  pulpit,  a  grey  headed  man  approached 
me,  and,  offering  his  hand,  said,  'Do  you  remembei 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.        79 

me,  Mr.  Bascom?'  I  replied  that  I  did  not. 
'Then,'  said  he,  'do  you  recollect  the  night  you 
were  chased  by  the  wolves?'  I  replied,  'I  do 
remember  it  well'  'I  am  the  man,'  said  the 
other,  'at  whose  cabin  you  stayed  during  the  night 
of  your  adventure  with  the  wolves.'  " 

I  have  given  you  the  incident  as  nearly  in  the 
professor's  own  language  as  I  can  recollect. 

While  on  this  circuit,  a  misunderstanding 
occurred  between  Mr.  Bascom  and  a  chief  official 
member  of  his  charge,  and  they  appear  to  have 
separated  in  this  state  of  feeling.  Some  time 
after  he  left  the  circuit,  he  received  a  letter  of 
humble  acknowledgment  from  this  brother.  He 
says :  "You  cannot  tell  what  I  have  suffered. 
When  I  thought  of  the  many  good  sermons  you 
preached  to  us,  and  that  eloquent  one  at  Guyan- 
dotte,  and  at  H.'s  and  at  F.'s,  0,  how  I  have  felt. 
Great  God,  pity  and  forgive  me!  Dear  brother, 
pray  for  me ;  and  for  Christ's  sake,  do  forgive  me, 
for  I  know  I  love  you."  From  this  man's  letter 
wo  learn  that  himself  was  the  chief  offender,  and 
yet  he  informs  us  that  Bascom  —  the  injured 
party — was  first  to  seek  a  reconciliation.  "When 
I  received  your  letter,  sorrow  filled  my  whole  soul." 
Here  is  an  example  of  forgiving  goodness. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THIRD  YEAR AND  LAST  YEAR  IN  OHIO. 

CJIose  of  the  Year  —  Account  of  his  Labors  and  Compensation  —  His 
Resolution  to  go  on  in  his  work  —  Inducements  to  Desist  —  Goei 
to  Conference  —  Refused  Admission  into  Full  Connection  —  His 
feelings  on  the  occasion — Encouraged  by  his  Old  Friend  —  Is 
granted  a  Third  Y''ear  of  Probation,  and  agrees  to  take  work  — 
Appointed  to  Mad  River  Circuit  —  Death  of  his  Mother  —  Char- 
acter of  his  Circuit  —  First  Acquaintance  of  the  Writer  with  him 
—  First  Sermon  heard  —  Preachers  at  Camp  Meeting  —  The 
Writer  Awakened  — Thrilling  Adventure  with  the  Indians  —  Illness 
and  Dangerous  Experiment  —  Pecuniary  Embarrassments. 

This  was  Mr.  Bascom's  second  year  in  the 
regular  itinerant  work,  and,  at  its  close,  he  was 
legally  eligible  to  admission  into  full  connection  in 
the  conference,  and  to  deacon's  orders.  Of  his 
perils  and  sufferings,  we  have  seen  something;  of 
the  extent  of  his  labors  during  this  year,  as  well  as 
his  pecuniary  compensation,  we  will  hear  his  own 
report,  made  at  the  end  of  his  term  of  service,  in 
a  letter  to  P.  Scales,  Esq.,  dated  "  Cabell  county, 
Va.,  August  25, 1815."  By  a  change  in  the  time 
of  the  meeting  of  conference,  the  year  appears  to 
have  been  shortened  to  nine  or  ten  mouths.  He 
says :  '^  I  expect  on  to-morrow  and  next  day,  to 
complete  my  labors  on  this  circuit,  and  in  this  part 
of  the  world.  Since  November,  1814,  I  have 
traveled  three  thousand  miles^  and  preached  to  fow 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  81 

hundred  congregations,  and  from  the  public,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  private  gifts,  I  have  received 
Uvelve  dollars  and  ten  cents'  Think  of  a  gifted 
young  man  preaching  eloquent  sermons  at  the  rate 
of  three  cents  each,  and  then  seven  or  eight  miles 
of  rough  travel  thrown  in  with  each  sermon  I  Was 
he  not  disheartened  under  those  circumstances,  and 
tempted  to  accept  offers  of  lucrative  situations, 
which  were  open  to  him  ?  His  own  noble  response 
to  this  inquiry  is  worthy  the  man,  and  worthy  the 
holy  cause  in  which  he  was  engaged.  Hear  it :  — 
"  ^  But  none  of  these  things  move  me.'  I  possess 
a  settled  consciousness  that  I  did  not  engage  in 
the  ministry  to  accumulate  wealth ;  and  when  I 
meet  wiih  trials  and  disparagements,  I  am  not  at 
all  disappointed,  but  meet  with  firmness  what  I  had 
anticipated — not  with  fear.  I  can  get,  as  soon  as 
I  please,  $500  per  annum  for  my  services.  But 
no,  I'll  travel,  and  try  to  possess  the  spirit  of 
goodness  and  universal  benevolence."  So  far  was 
he  from  regarding  this  toilsome  and  uncompensated 
work,  as  unworthy  his  already  popular  talents,  he 
rather  mourns  his  want  of  qualificdtion  for  the 
honorable  vocation  of  a  gospel  missionary.  "  My 
mortification  is  great,"  he  adds, "  under  the  consid- 
eration of  my  incapacity  to  serve  the  public  as  I 
I  ought,  in  order  to  attra43t  attention,  and  excel  in 
preaching.  But  while  I  feel  anima  ting  ^res  in  my 
veins,  I'll  preach  His  gospel  who  gave  me  power 

6 


82         LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

to  preach."  To  appreciate  these  noble  septiments. 
it  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  they  were  uttered  by 
a  popular  and  attractive  young  man,  of  nineteen 
summers,  at  the  period  of  closing  his  labors,  priva- 
tions, and  perils,  in  his  mountain  field,  in  which  he 
had  preached  four  hundred  sermons,  and  traveled 
three  thousand  miles  on  horseback  within  three 
hundred  days;  for  all  of  which  he  had  received 
twelve  dollars  and  ten  cents,  while  tempting  offers 
of  lucrative  employment  were  made  him,  on  con- 
dition of  his  exchanging  a  sacred  for  a  secular 
vocation. 

But  another  consideration  must  not  be  over- 
looked in  making  this  estim.ate  \  a  year  earlier 
than  this,  as  we  have  seen,  he  was  involved  in 
debt,  and  paiily  by  contributing  to  aid  his  destitute 
father;  those  debts  still  hung  over  him,  and  must 
now  be  increased  by  the  procurement  of  conveni- 
ences not  to  be  had  for  his  twelve  dollars;  and  that 
father  was  still  destitute,  and  oh,  how  the  son's  heart 
yearned  to  administer  relief.  By  abandoning  the 
laborious  work  of  the  itinerant  ministry,  he  could 
honorably  pay  his  debts,  and  aid  his  father ;  but 
no,  there  burned  a  "  fire  in  his  veins,"  that  would 
not  allow  him  to  consult  with  flesh  and  blood. 

His  work  for  the  year  being  completed,  he 
went,  with  a  good  conscience  and  a  cheerful  heart, 
to  meet  his  brethren  iil  conference,  and  to  convince 
fchcm,  by  the  evidence  of  his  abundant  and  faithful 


LIFE    OF   BISHOPBASCOM.  83 

labors,  that  he  was  worthy  their  confidence  and 
friendship,  and  to  "take  part  of  the  ministry"  with 
them.  But  how  imperfectly  were  his  virtues  and 
real  worth  known,  even  by  his  ministerial  brethren. 
He  had  labored  f  lithfuUy ;  no  neglect  of  duty,  no 
crime  or  heresy  was  charged  against  him;  yet,  in 
the  opinion  of  some  of  the  seniors  of  the  conference, 
his  dress,  his  gait,  his  general  unmethodist-preacher- 
like  appearance  afforded  strong  indications  that  he 
would  never  make  an  humble  itinerant  preacher. 
The  influence  of  this  class  carried  with  them 
enough  of  the  younger  members,  of  the  body  to 
make  up  a  majority,  and  the  result  was,  that  when 
the  vote  was  taken  on  admitting  Bascom  into  full 
connection,  a  majority  was  opposed  to  him,  and 
he  was  rejected.  This  official  expression  of  distrust, 
coming  as  it  did,  immediately  in  the  wake  of  his 
severe  labors  and  privations  in  the  mountains, 
deeply  wounded  his  spirit.  He  had  labored  on  the 
roughest  work  they  could  assign,  at  the  rate  of 
three  cents  a  sermon,  but  his  brethren  had  now 
decided  that  he  was  not  worthy  longer  to  enjoy 
such  a  privilege.  On  the  announcement  of  this 
decision,  he  arose  and  walked  from  the  room  with 
the  calmness  of  despair,  to  collect  his  thoughts  and 
settle  his  purposes  for  the  future.  Perhaps,  if 
Heaven  had  not  provided  a  kind  friend  to  soothe 
and  support  him  in  this  extremity,  he  might  have 
sunk  beneath  the  burden,  and  felt  authorized  to 


84  LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

abandon  a  work  in  which  his  brethren  were  unwill 
ing  that  he  should  take  part;  but  before  the 
tempter  had  time  to  sow  seeds  of  disaffection,  oi 
rash  resolve,  in  his  bleeding  heart,  he  found  him- 
self in  the  arms  of  his  faithful  friend  McMahan, 
who  had  followed  him  out  to  administer  comfort 
and  fortify  his  resolution  of  steadfastness.  If  he 
was  sensitive  to  wrongs  and  iiljuries,  he  was 
quickly  alive  to  the  solace  of  sympathy,  and  would 
readily  yield  his  own  preference  or  opinions  to  the 
counsels  of  faithful  friendship;  accordingly,  "he 
soon  consented  to  hear  his  unjust  punishment 
without  a  murmur;"  and  the  conference  agreeing 
to  give  him  another  year  of  trial,  he  was  appointed 
to  labor  as  junior  preacher  on  Mad  river  circuit, 
with  Rev.  Moses  Grume  as  his  senior  ministei,  and 
Rev.  John  Sale  his  presiding  elder. 

This  appointment,  the  reader  will  recollect,  was 
made  in  the  autumn  of  1815,  and  at  that  date  tlirei 
circuits  covered  the  whole  distance  from  the  Ohio 
river  on  the  south,  into  the  Indian  territory  on  the 
north;  these  were  Cincinnati  circuit — for  there  was 
then  no  station — Union  circuit,  embracing  Dayton, 
Lebanon,  Xenia,  &c.,  and  Mad  river  circuit, 
extending  from  the  frontier  settlements,  west  of 
the  Great  Miami,  eastward  on  to  the  Scioto,  and 
northward  into  the  Indian  country.  Troy,  Piqua, 
Springfield,  Urbana,  and  several  Indian  towns  were 
embraced  in  this  circui:. 


LIfE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.         85 

In  September  of  tMs  year,  Mr.  Bascom  was 
called  to  suffer  the  most  severe  calamity  he  had 
ever  endured,  in  the  death  of  his  excellent  and 
much  beloved  mother. 

Henry  was  evidently  a  great  favorite  with  his 
mother,  and  most  tenderly  did  he  love  her.  After 
she  had  been  dead  more  than  thirty  years,  he  would 
frequently  weep  when  speaking  of  her.  It  appeared 
to  afford  him  pleasure  to  the  end  of  his  life,  that 
in  her  closing  scene,  turning  from  all  others,  she 
bade  him  kneel  at  her  bed-side,  and  died  with  hei 
hands  clasped  in  his. 

She  was  a  woman  of  high  order  of  intellect,  and 
most  benevolent  and  affectionate  heart. 

The  following  from  his  pen,  apparently  designed 
as  an  epitaph,  is  dated  May,  1819; 

"  Mrs.  Hannah  Bascom,  who  died  in  peace,  September,  1815,  in  the 

forty-second  year  of  her  age  — 

Was   romantic  and  gay  when  young^ 

Joined  with  gentleness,  industry  and  affection,- 

When  more  advanced,  was  frugal,  thoughtful,  and  gy-ave, 

In  union  with  sensibility,  truth,  and  complacency. 

At  mature  age  she  became  pious  and  prayerful. 

Possessed  of  the  religion  of  Christ  in  her  premature  decline, 

Heaven  benignly  smiled  and  gave  her  foj-titude, 

In  affliction,  uprightness  and  integrity  supported  her; 

In  death  the  hope  of  Heaven  cheered. 

And  the  Christian  braved  his  terrors  without  fear." 

This  circuit,  though  a  frontier  one,  was  in  a 
rich  and  delightful  country,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  population  of  which,  were  intelligent  and  in  a 


86  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

good  degree  refinedj  and  among  them  a  large 
number  of  located  ministers  of  high  standing. 
Here  again,  B.iscom  got  into  a  country  of  hooks. 
and  society  from  which  he  could  learn  much  by 
personal  intercourse,  —  and  no  such  advantage, 
when  thrown  in  his  way,  was  neglected  by  him. 
It  was  indeed  a  much  better  field,  both  for  the 
employment  of  his  talents,  and  for  their  improve- 
ment, than  that  occupied  by  him  the  preceding 
year.  Here  his  eloquence  soon  attracted  attention, 
and  drew  crowds  to  hear  him;  indeed,  no  man, 
young  or  old,  had  commanded  such  congregations 
in  that  district  of  country. 

On  this  circuit  it  was  that  the  writer  of  this 
biographical  sketch,  first  saw  the  young  orator.  I 
well  remember  the  first  time  I  heard  him  preach. 
It  was  in  the  old  frame  church  in  Springfield, 
soon  after  his  arrival  on  his  work.  The  house  was 
filled  to  overflowing,  and  many  persons  stood  on 
the  outside  during  the  sermon  —  for  already  his 
fame  as  an  orator  had  sounded  abroad.  It  is  but 
candid  to  confess,  that  at  this  time,  I  felt  much 
more  interest  in  his  eloquence,  than  in  the  im- 
portant truths  he  delivered  to  the  multitude,  yet, 
his  oratory  alone  so  captivated  my  mind  and 
feelings,  that  I  stood  outside  of  a  window  during 
the  entire  services,  without  the  slightest  sense  of 
weariness,  and  for  the  first  time  in  life,  regretted 
the  ending  of  the  sermon.     I  recollect  that  there 


LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  87 

stood  by  my  side  a  gentleman,  who  'Wc.s  not  a 
church-goer,  and  whom  I  had  never  before  seen  at  a 
place  of  worship :  after  listening  to  the  sermon 
with  attention  and  evident  interest,  he  addressed 
me  at  the  close,  in  nearly  the  following  language:' 
"  That  is  the  sort  of  preaching  to  do  good  :  if  all 
preaching  were  like  that,  every  body  would  go  to 
church."  And  yet  it  was  a  searching  sermon, 
abounding  in  truths  and  denunciations  the  most 
solemn  and  terrible. 

In  June,  1816,  Mr.  Bascom  and  his  colleague, 
assisted  by  several  other  ministers,  held  a  camp- 
meeting  within  the  present  limits  of  the  town  of 
Mechanicsburg,  in  Champaign  county,  Ohio.  On 
Sabbath  morning  of  that  meeting,  Mr.  Bascom 
delivered  a  sermon  powerfully  eloquent  and  effec- 
tive, which,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  became  the 
starting  point  in  the  reformation  and  religious  life 
of  his  biographer.  This  circumstance,  no  doubt, 
had  much  influence  in  superinducing  a  friendship 
of  peculiar  intimacy,  which  knew  no  interruption 
until  death  severed  the  bond. 

Though  this  circuit  was  free  from  many  of  the 
perils  and  privations  of  Mr.  Bascom's  preceding 
one,  it  had  a  large  frontier,  and  would  now  be 
regarded  as  a  field  of  great  difficulty,  danger,  and 
toil.  One  adventure  of  a  somewhat  perilous 
character,  I  shall  relate.  Bascom  had  been 
visiting  the  societies  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  and 


88  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

extended  his  tour  to  the  old  Indian  village  of 
Wapakanetta.  Indians  were  numerous  in  the 
country,  —  the  war  with  Great  Britain  had  but 
just  ended,  and  there  were  still  Indians  who 
cherished  a  secret  hostility  to  the  whites,  and  were 
glad  of  an  occasion  or  opportunity  to  follow  the 
promptings  of  their  unforgiving  hearts. 

After  preaching,  he  left  his  horse  at  the  fori 
and  walked  a  mile  or  two  to  spend  the  night  with 
a  Mr.  McNish,  who  had  but  recently  built  a  house^ 
intended  to  be  proof  against  the  attacks  of  Indians. 
It  was  constructed  of  stout  beach  logs  fitted  well 
together,  the  floor  was  made  of  heavy  logs  split  in 
half — called  puncheons — and  the  ceiling  over- 
head was  formed  of  solid  timbers  instead  of  planks 
or  plastering.  A  large  quantity  of  wood,  green 
and  dry,  was  collected  in  the  house,  and  at  bed 
time  a  heavy  log  was  placed  firmly  against  the 
door.  There  had  not  been  any  recent  Indian 
disturbances,  and  no  present  danger  was  appre- 
hended; but  Mr.  McNish  was  too  prudent  a 
borderer  to  be  caught  off  his  guard,  and  accord- 
ingly made  his  preparations  every  night,  as  if 
expecting  an  attack.  It  was  well  he  did  so ;  for 
about  midnight  a  considerable  body  of  Indians 
made  a  furious  assault  on  the  house  ;  but  in  a 
moment  all  within  were  fully  ready  for  them 
They  attempted  to  force  the  door,  but  in  vain ;  for 
H  was  made  of  heavy  puncheons,  and  immovably 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BaSCOM.        89 

fastened.  Foiled  in  this,  they  attempted  to  fire 
the  house;  but  green  beach  logs  they  founi  to 
be  less  combustible  material  than  they  wished, 
and  here,  also,  they  failed.  They  next  essayed  to 
descend  the  chimney,  but  a  quantity  of  dry  wood 
thrown  upon  the  still  large  fire,  sent  up  such  a 
volume  of  heat  as  drove  the  assailants  back 
precipitately. 

Before  the  morning,  the  Indians  had  retired; 
but  only,  as  was  supposed,  to  lurking-places,  from 
which  they  might  pounce,  tiger-like,  on  the 
unwary  or  unsuspecting. 

But  what  was  Bascom  to  do?  his  way  lay 
through  the  thick  woods,  and  those  woods  were 
believed  to  be  infested  with  hostile  savages.  He 
resolved,  however,  to  brave  the  danger,  and 
attempt  to  reach  his  next  point,  at  a  settlement  on 
Mad  river,  ten  miles  south  of  Springfield.  He 
accordingly  set  out  on  his  perilous  journey  alone, 
but  had  not  proceeded  very  fir,  until  an  Indian 
woman  came  out  of  the  woods  to  the  side  of  his 
path,  and  by  significant  gestures  gave  him  to 
understand,  that  his  life  was  in  peril,  and  the 
necessity  of  prompt  action  to  escape  the  threat- 
ening danger.  Profiting  by  the  hint,  he  gave 
rein  to  his  horse,  and,  in  the  shortest  time  possible, 
reached  the  fording-place  of  the  Great  Miami. 
But  now  a  new  difficulty  was  presented ;  the  river 
was  not  only  full,  but  covered  with  floating  ice 
8 


90         LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

which  seemed  to  render  a  crossing  impossible. 
Hesitating  a  moment  to  encounter  the  danger 
before  him,  he  cast  a  look  behind,  and  saw  the 
Indians  at  a  distance  advancing  at  their  best 
speed  upon  him,  already  exulting  in  the  certainty 
of  their  prey.  Instantly  he  plunged  into  the  bold 
ice-mantled  stream,  and  nobly  did  his  beast  buffet 
the  rushing  current,  and  bear  his  master  to  the 
other  shore,  at  which  he  arrived  in  safety  just  as 
the  Indians  approached  the  ford.  They  did  not 
dare  to  tempt  the  dangerous  river,  trusting  to  the 
strength  of  their  light  ponies,  and  had  to  content 
themselves  with  uttering  a  savage  yell  and  bran- 
dishing their  glittering  tomahawks  in  the  air. 

The  preacher  had  escaped  the  savages,  but  he 
found  his  limbs  mailed  in  ice,  and  himself  in 
danger  of  being  frozen  before  he  could  reach  a 
lodging-place ;  for  it  was  a  snowy  March  day,  and 
he  had  to  travel  from  the  Miami,  near  Piqua, 
perhaps,  to  the  Mad  river  valley,  a  distance  of,  it 
may  be,  twenty  miles. 

When  out  of  reach  of  the  Indians,  he  dismounted, 
emptied  the  water  out  of  his  boots  and  saddle-bags, 
wrung  out  his  stockings,  and  while  he  permitted 
his  faithful  horse  to  eat  a  few  ears  of  corn  with 
which  he  was  provided,  he  employed  himself  in 
eating  a  lunch  of  bread  and  dried  venison,  exer- 
cising the  while  actively,  to  give  his  blood  lively 
circulation,  that  he  might  the  better  endure  the 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  91 

cold.  This  done,  he  remounted  and  addressed 
himself  to  his  journey. 

The  first  marriage  I  had  witnessed  in  the  west, 
took  place  about  a  year  previous  to  the  date  of 
this  event,  between  members  of  two  excellent  old 
Virginia  families;  and  the  young  couple  settled 
near  Mad  river,  and  their  house  became  a  home 
for  the  preachers,  and  a  regular  place  of  preaching. 

Thither  Bascom  was  bound,  and  there  his  horse 
carried  him  without  loss  of  time.  At  his  pleasant 
quarters  he  was  soon  made  warm,  dry  and  comforir 
able,  and  retired  early  to  bed  for  a  good  night's 
rest  after  the  fatigues  and  excitements  of  the  day. 
But  it  so  happened  that  the  good  lady  was  that 
night  brought  to  her  accouchment,  and  the  weary 
preacher  was  aroused  from  his  first  sweet  slumber 
to  procure  assistance  for  the  occasion^  and  to  seek 
other  lodgings  for  the  remainder  of  the  night. 
Twenty  years  afterward,  Bascom  preached  within 
the  bounds  of  his  old  circuit,  in  what  is  now  no 
mean  city.  After  service  he  was  introduced  to  a 
genteel  young  married  lady,  by  a  name  with  which 
he  was  not  familiar,  and  was  quite  taken  aback, 
when  she  pleasantly  stated  that  she  had  long 
desired  an  opportunity  to  apologize  for  causing 
him  the  loss  of  a  night's  rest  when  he  much 
needed  it,  and  to  thank  him  for  important  services 
rendered.  He  was  still  entirely  in  the  dark,  until 
she  informed  him  that  she  was  the  daughter  of 


92  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

Mr.  L...,  at  whose  house  he  put  up  on  the  evening 
of  his  escape  from  the  Indians,  and  that  that  was 
the  night  of  her  birth. 

It  was  on  this  circuit  that  an  incident  occurred 
that  may  be  thought  worth  recording.  He  was 
seized  with  a  fever  of  that  severe  and  obstinate 
type,  which  was  so  very  common  in  the  flats  and 
prairies  of  that  district  of  country,  in  its  first 
settlement.  It  was  a  frontier  locality,  and  some 
time  elapsed  before  a  physician  was  called  to 
attend  to  the  case.  When  he  came  he  expressed 
strong  doubts  as  to  Bascom's  recovery,  but  em- 
ployed the  usual  prescriptions  for  subduing  the 
disease.  After  a  few  visits,  he  expressed  the 
opinion  that  the  case  was  hopeless,  or  at  least 
that  there  was  very  little  hope  of  the  patient's 
recovery,  and  that  as  he  could  do  him  no  good,  it 
would  be  advisable  to  discontinue  his  visits,  which 
he  accordingly  did.  Still  the  prescribed  medicine 
was  continued,  and  still  the  fever  raged  on ;  and 
though  the  patient  was  burning  like  a  furnace 
with  thirst,  according  to  the  regime  of  the  times, 
the  use  of  cold  water  was  strictly  prohibited, 
under  pain  of  supposed  instant  death.  Bascom 
believed  his  end  was  at  hand,  and  was  resigned 
to  meet  his  flite ;  but  oh,  if  he  could  but  have 
one  good,  free  draught  of  water,  he  thought  he 
could  die  with  more  comfort  and  perfect  resigna- 
tion.    At  the  base  of  a  shady,  greenswarded  hill 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  93 

a  few  rods  from  the  house  where  he  lay,  a  cold 
spring  bubbled  up  from  the  earth,  and  sent  its 
crystal  waters  murmuring  down  the  vale.  Access 
to  this  spring  was  the  sufferer's  supreme  earthly 
desire ;  and  even  when  his  thoughts  would  attempt 
to  take  hold  on  the  bliss  of  heaven,  and  realize 
the  excellency  of  the  liver  of  life,  a  blistering 
thirst  called  back  his  desires  to  the  sparkling 
waters,  by  whose  side  he  was  famishing.  The 
physician's  interdict  he  cared  not  a  fig  for,  but 
he  had  not  the  power  to  reach  the  fountain 
himself,  and  the  good  people  in  whose  care  he 
was  would  have  stood  self-convicted  of  murder, 
had  they  aided  him  in  the  accomplishment  of  his 
supposed  dangerous  purpose,  or  even  provided 
him  with  a  single  draught  of  the  coveted  beverage. 
At  length  there  was  a  religious  meeting  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  the  family  were  desirous  to 
attend  it,  but  unwilling  to  leave  the  sick  man. 
He  urged  them  to  go,  assuring  them  that  he 
should  suffer  no  inconvenience  from  their  absence, 
it  being  understood  that  Sally  —  a  half  idiot 
girl  —  would  remain  to  take  care  of  him.  They 
finally  yielded,  and  took  theu^  departure,  greatly 
to  the  gratification  of  Bascom,  who  had  little 
doubt  of  being  able  to  prevail  on  Sally  to  aid  his 
cherished  object  of  getting  a  full  satisfaction  of 
cold  water.  Not  content  to  have  the  water 
brought  to  him,  he  bribed  Sally  to  assist  him 


94  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

down  to  the  spring.  This  she  did.  and,  having 
spread  a  blanket  on  the  grass  beside  the  spring, 
laid  him  upon  it,  and  putting  into  his  hand  a 
long-handled  gourd,  with  which  he  could  reach 
the  fountain,  she  set  herself  down  in  the  shade, 
and  laughed  with  idiotic  heartiness  to  see  the  sick 
preacher  drink  and  quaff,  as  if  he  would  drink  the 
very  spring  dry.  Having  drank  until  he  could 
drink  no  more,  he  rested  a  while  from  the 
exertion,  and  then  repeated  the  copious  draughts 
to  complete  satiety,  and  then  lay  down  to  await 
quietly  the  fatal  effects  that  were  expected  to 
follow  this  delightful  indulgence.  Soon,  however, 
reaction  took  place ;  the  patient  was  thrown  into 
a  profuse  perspiration,  the  fever  yielded,  and  from 
that  hour  he  began  rapidly  to  amend.  By  this 
circumstance,  it  is  probable,  the  valuable  life  of 
this  eminent  servant  of  the  church  was  saved, 
and  his  services  secured  to  the  world  for  thirty- 
five  years  longer. 

We  have  already  learned  that  after  Bascom  had 
made  up  his  scanty  outfit  by  the  labor  of  his 
boyish  hands,  and  had  gone  into  the  field  of 
itinerant  labor,  depending  on  his  salary  to  support 
him,  to  pay  losses  on  books,  and  to  contribute 
to  the  aid  of  his  destitute  fither  and  family, 
he  became  involved  in  debt  in  a  short  time. 
When  he  went  to  this  circuit  he  had  been  two 
years   at  hard,  regular  labor,  for  which  he   had 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  95 

received  eighty-two  dollars  and  ten  cents.  Of 
course,  his  involvement  was  now  greater  than  two 
years  before.  ELind  friends  here  soon  supplied 
the  place  of  his  thread-bare  clothing  with  new, 
and  were  not  long  in  finding  out  that  he  was  in 
debt,  and  that  his  spmt  was  constantly  weighed 
down  by  the  indigence  and  want  of  his  friends 
at  home.  His  father  was  extremely  poor,  and 
his  brothers  and  sisters  growing  up,  not  only 
without  many  of  the  comforts  of  life,  but  without 
the  means  of  education.  A  wealthy  and  generous 
friend  —  Judge  R.  —  projected  a  plan  to  raise 
some  present  relief  Grateful  as  this  was  to 
Bascom's  feelings,  his  fears  were  painfully  alive 
lest  some  one,  to  whom  his  friend  might  mention 
the  subject,  should  suppose  that  he  was  playing 
the  beggar,  or  that  improvidence,  indolence,  or 
dissipation  had  brought  his  family  into  such 
straits.  He  therefore  wrote  to  his  friend : — 
"  Should  you  speak  to  others  about  helping  me 
or  my  father's  helpless  family,  in  our  present 
extremity  and  indigence,  let  them  know  that  I 
had  not  the  meanness  to  beg  it,  but  that  though  it 
will  be  gratefully  received,  it  is  wholly  unasked  — 
unsolicited  by  me.  Let  them  know  that  I  am 
incapable  of  receiving  such  aid  without  an  honest 
intention  on  my  p:irt,  should  Heaven  ever  afford 
me  the  ability,  to  return  it  to  the  donors;  let 
them  know  that   no  extravagance,  intemperance, 


96         LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

or  want  of  frugality  or  industry  in  any  member 
of  the  ftimily  able  to  do  service,  has  brought  us 
to  our  present  state  of  want,  but  apparently  an 
order  of  Providence,  that  in  this  case  honest 
frugality  shall  find  its  home  in  the  home  of 
poverty.  It  appears  to  me  that  it  is  either  my 
duty  to  go  home  and  remain  there,  or  God  intends 
by  these  grievous  embarrassments  to  chastise 
me  into  proper  humility;  and  designs  to  provide 
for  us  in  some  unknown  way." 

To  what  extent  he  was  aided  at  that  time  is 
not  now  known,  but  had  it  been  thousands,  it 
would  not  long  have  served  the  purposes  of  his 
filial  and  fraternal  generosity. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

EMBRACING  HIS  FIRST  YEARS  IN  TENNESSEE  CONFERENCE- 

End  of  the  Year — Increased  Reputation,  but  complained  of  about 
Dress  —  Anecdote  —  The  Round  Coat  —  Objected  to  before  Con 
ference  —  Case  Debated  — Proposes  withdrawing  from  Conference 
—  Interposition  of  the  Bishop  —  Transfer  to  Tennessee  Confer- 
ence —  Stationed  at  Danville  —  Character  of  the  Work  —  His 
Health  fails  —  Attends  Springs  —  Associations  at  Harrodsburg  — 
Conference  at  Franklin,  Tennessee  —  Appointed  to  Danville  and 
Madison  with  Wm.  Adams  —  Character  of  Country  and  People  — 
Reproof  to  the  Sleeper  and  Talkers  —  Reproof  —  Bascom  waylaid 
by  the  Ofltended  —  His  Daring  Conduct  on  the  Occasion  —  First 
Acquaintance  with  Mr.  Clay — Intimacy  of  their  F>iendship  — 
Bascom's  interposition  in  the  Clay  and  Randolph  Duel  —  Mr. 
Clay's  denial  of  the  report  of  his  having  educated  Bascom  — 
Attends  Conference  at  Nashville  —  His  Preaching  —  A  Lady's 
Account  of  it. 

During  this  year,  Mr.  Bascom's  reputation  as  a 
pulpit  orator  bad  greatly  increased,  and  his  useful- 
ness was  unquestionable.  After  a  laborious  year 
of  faithful  and  successful  service,  he  went  to  the 
conference  in  the  confident  expectation  that  now, 
after  an  extra  year  of  trial  and  improvement, 
opposition  would  cease,  and  he  would  be  received 
into  full  connection,  and  admitted  to  orders  without 
difficulty.  With  the  people  of  his  charge,  including 
a  number  of  intelligent  local  preachers,  he  was  a 
great  favorite  at  the  end  of  the  year,  though  at  its 
beginning  there  was  no  small  amount  of  prejudice 

7 


98  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

against  him.  This  fact,  it  was  presumed,  would 
redound  to  his  advantage  before  the  conference, 
and  there  seemed  scarcely  room  to  doubt  that  an 
approving  vote  would  be  given  by  that  body  in  his 
case.  Yet  f irther  disappointment  and  repulse 
awaited  him.  When  his  case  came  up,  though  his 
superior  talents,  his  industry,  his  soundness  in 
doctrine  and  discipline,  and  his  usefulness,  were 
acknowledged,  and  there  was  no  accusation  of  unbe- 
coming levity,  of  gallantry,  or  imprudence,  still  he 
did  not  dress  like  a  Methodist  preacher  of  that 
time,  nor  look  like  one,  and  it  was  doubted  whether 
he  would  ever  become  a  i^eal  Methodist  preacher ; 
and  many  of  the  venerable  seniors  of  the  confer- 
ence felt  bound  in  conscience  to  guard  the  church 
against  one  who,  in  their  opinion,  would  be  likely, 
by  his  example,  to  lead  the  membership  away  from 
primitive  simplicity  of  dress  and  manners.  There 
was,  to  be  sure,  nothing  in  the  fashion  of  his  apparel 
that  would,  at  this  day,  be  at  all  likely  to  give 
offence,  for  his  dress  was  not  more  fishionable  than 
that  of  young  ministers  of  the  present  time  ordi- 
narily is,  but  more  so  than  was  common  then. 
But  the  truth  was,  that  there  was  more  in  an 
elegantly-erect  form,  and  a  light,  elastic  movement, 
than  in  his  dress.  Indeed,  whatever  he  put  on  had 
a  fishionable  appearance.  Of  this  I  had  an  amus- 
ing evidence  some  years  later.  A  stickler  for  old 
pishions  urged  Mr.  Bascom  to  perfect  his  minis- 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  99 

terial  appearance  by  putting  on  a  round  breasted 
coat.  Mr.  B.  said  the  coat  he  wore  was  a  present, 
and  though  he  thought  it  a  more  comfortable  and 
sensible  one  as  to  form,  than  a  round  breasted  one, 
if  it  had  been  of  that  antiquated  fashion  he  would 
not,  on  that  account,  have  refused  it.  "  And  if  I 
give  you  as  good  a  one,  made  in  the  latter  fashion, 
will  you  lay  that  one  aside,  and  wear  the  plain  one?" 
inquired  the  old  gentleman.  "  Certainly  I  will," 
was  Bascom's  prompt  response.  The  coat  was, 
accordingly,  made  in  the  most  approved  round 
breasted  style,  and  put  on.  The  material  was  fine, 
and  the  fit  was  as  neat  as  that  sort  of  article  could 
be  made  to  fit  an  elegant  form  ;  but  what  a  disap- 
pointment to  the  good  donor !  For  never  did 
Bascom  appear  so  much  the  perfection  of  dandyism 
in  any  dress  he  had  ever  worn.  The  disappointed 
old  gentleman,  after  turning  the  preacher  round 
and  round,  and  inspecting  him  on  every  side,  only 
to  find  th.'it  he  had  made  a  dandy  instead  of  a 
plain  Methodist  preacher,  was  very  willing  to  get 
his  fine,  plain  coat  off  of  a  man  whose  very  form 
seemed  made  to  turn  it  into  ridicule;  but  not  so 
Bascom.  "  You  have  given  me  the  coat,  and  I 
shall  wear  it,  and  especially  as  you  seemed  to  think 
that  I  was  too  proud  to  wear  a  coat  cut  in  the 
fashion  of  the  last  century."  And  wear  it  he  did, 
all  around  his  circuit,  and.  I  believe,  until  it  was 
worn  out. 


100  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

But  to  return  to  his  case  as  it  stood  before  the 
conference  in  1816  :  the  same  objections  and  the 
same  objectors,  by  which  his  defeat  was  brought 
about  the  year  preceding,  were  still  on  hand,  and 
opposed  his  advancement.  True,  the  last  year's 
predictions  about  his  leaving  the  church,  and  all 
that,  had  utterly  failed;  but  it  was  the  easiest 
thing  in  life  to  assume  their  future  fulfillment  on 
his  being  admitted  to  orders.  He  felt  deeply 
conscious  that  injustice  was  done  his  motives  and 
his  character,  and  his  spirit  was  wounded  to  the 
point  of  anguish.  He  was  not  without  ardent 
friends,  who  plead  his  cause  with  great  earnestness, 
but  7iumber  was  evidently  on  the  other  side.  The 
debate  was  protracted,  and  of  its  course  and 
tendency  he  was,  from  time  to  time,  advised  by 
his  friends.  Exquisitively  sensitive  in  his  feelings, 
and  conscious  that  he  was  grievously,  painfully 
wronged,  and  likely  to  have  his  reputation,  as  well 
as  his  feelings,  mangled  in  the  strife,  he  could 
endure  no  longer,  and,  under  the  promptings  of 
bitter  chagrin,  addressed  a  note  to  the  conference, 
the  purport  of  which,  as  nearly  as  I  have  been  able 
to  learn,  was,  that,  as  he  semed  to  be  a  subject  of 
contention  and  an  object  of  distrust  with  them, 
and  was  likely  to  be  the  cause  of  dissensions 
among  themselves,  he  preferred  to  ask  no  farther 
favors  of  them  beside  that  of  striking  his  name 
from  their  list  of  probationers,  and  he  would  try  t-o 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BA3C0M.  101 

f^erve  God  and  take  care  of  himself  as  best  he 
could,  without  their  succor.  This  note  was  regarded 
by  the  party  adverse  to  him  as  conclusive  of  a 
haughty  and  insubordinate,  if  not  a  contumacious 
spirit,  and  the  majority  were  ready  to  dispense 
with  his  farther  services.  At  this  critical  conjunc- 
ture, the  venerable  Bishop,  who  presided  in  the 
conference,  interposed: — "Brethren,"  said  he,  "if 
you  have  no  use  for  that  boy  in  your  conference, 
admit,  and  elect  him,  and  I  '11  take  him  out  of  your 
way,  and  take  care  of  him."  It  was  accordingly 
so  done,  and  he  was  transferred  to  Tennessee 
conference  —  which  then  embraced  the  larger  por- 
tion of  the  state  of  Kentucky  —  and  appointed  to 
Danville  circuit. 

Of  the  incidents,  labors,  and  success  of  this  year, 
I  have  but  little  information.  The  work  was  a 
heavy  one,  the  settlements  generally  new,  and 
a  portion  of  the  country  then  embraced  in  Danville 
circuit  very  rough,  and  before  the  year  ended 
his  health  gave  way,  and  he  was  compelled  for 
a  time  to  suspend  regular  labor.  Harrodsburg 
was  embraced  in  his  circuit,  and  he  spent  his 
valetudinarian  time  chiefly  at  that  place  for  the 
benefit  of  the  medicinal  waters  of  that  locahty, 
and  the  society  of  valued  friends  who  resided 
there.  Chief  among  these  was  Rev.  Jesse  Head, 
a  local  minister  of  considerable  ability,  and,  whose 
influence   doubtless  hid  the  effect  to  give  shape 


i02  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

and  character  to  some  of  Bascom's  opinions  held 
in  after  life. 

At  the  Tennessee  annual  conference,  held  at 
Franklin,  Tenn.,  Oct.  30,  1817,  Mr.  Bascom  was 
re-appointed  to  Danville  circuit,  but  this  and  Mad- 
ison circuit  were  now  united  into  one,  and  Rev. 
Wm.  Adams  was  Bascom's  colleague.  The  circuit 
as  then  arranged,  embraced  the  large  scope  of 
country  extending  from  the  region  of  Harrodsburg 
up  in  to  the  mountains  as  far,  I  think,  as  the 
"Three  forks"  of  Kentucky,  including  all  the 
intermediate  territory  of  Estill,  Madison,  Gerrard, 
Lincoln,  and  Boyle  counties. 

A  rougher  region  it  was  difficult  to  find,  either 
as  regards  the  flice  of  the  country,  or  the  character 
of  m  niy  of  the  population  at  that  time  inhabiting 
the  upper  part  of  this  circuit;  but  Bascom,  having 
regularly  graduated  on  Guyandotte,  in  the  same 
sort  of  school,  found  little  here  that  was  not 
familiar  to  his  experience.  In  dealing  with  those 
unpolished  people  the  preachers  were  sometimes 
under  an  apparent  necessity  of  resorting  to  mea- 
sures which  would  seem  singular  among  people  of 
different  character  and  habits. 

On  one  occasion,  while  Bascom  was  preaching 
in  Gerrard  county,  on  a  warm  day,  a  gentleman 
sitting  immediately  in  front  of  him  fefi  asleep,  and 
directly  outside  of  the  window  back  of  the  pulpit, 
two  men  commenced  a  conversation  in  so  loud 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  103 

tone  as  to  be  heard  through  the  open  window,  by 
a  large  portion  of  the  congregation.  Each  of  these 
circumstances  annoyed  him,  and  both  together 
greatly  embarrassed  his  feelings  and  his  delivery. 
Finding  it  necessary  to  free  himself  from  the 
difficulty  he  adopted  the  plan  said  to  have  once 
been  pursued  by  the  famous  Rowland  Hill  of  Eng- 
land. Turning  to  the  window  in  the  rear,  he 
lowered  his  voice,  and,  addressing  the  talkers  out- 
side, said,  "Gentlemen,  I  will  thank  you  to  speak 
in  a  lower  tone  of  voice,  or  you  will  disturb  my 
friend  who  is  sleeping  here  in  front  of  the  pulpit." 
It  need  scarcely  be  added,  that  the  rebuke  hushed 
the  talking,  and  thoroughly  aroused  the  sleeper. 
And  if  Rowland  Hill  could  request  a  man,  in  his 
refined  congregation  in  England,  "not  to  snore  so 
loud,  or  he  Avould  wake  Mrs.  Hill,"  Bascom  might 
be  allowed  a  similar  liberty  in  the  back  woods  of 
Kentucky,  at  that  early  period. 

At  another  time,  while  preaching  at  a  place  far 
up  on  the  Kentucky  river,  he  found  it  necessary 
to  reprove  some  young  men  in  the  congregation, 
who  were  greatly  disturbing  both  the  preacher  and 
the  hearers.  At  this  they  took  offence,  and  threat- 
ened vengeance  on  the  preacher.  The  next  day 
on  his  way  towards  the  lower  part  of  the  county, 
he  was  informed  that  three  young  men,  armed  with 
bludgeons,  having  sworn  vengeance  for  his  rebuke, 
had  gone  forward  to  waylay  and  beat  him  as  he 


104  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

passed  along,  and  he  was  earnestly  admonished  not 
to  go  that  way,  if  he  valued  his  safety  or  his  life. 
Another  gentleman  had  fallen  in  company  with 
him,  and  on  his  declaring  his  willingness  to  accom- 
pany Bascom  through  the  scene  of  danger,  he  at 
once  resolved  to  go  forward,  and  having  provided 
himself  with  a  stout  stick,  did  so. 

When  Bascom  and  his  traveling  companion  came 
in  sight  of  a  narrow  pass  on  the  mountain  side,  a 
few  miles  above  where  the  town  of  Irvine  now 
stands,  sure  enough,  there  were  the  three  valorous 
champions,  with  coats  off  and  sleeves  rolled  up, 
apparently  ready  and  eager  for  bloody  work.  And 
that  no  chance  of  escape  might  be  left,  two  were 
posted  on  one  side  of  the  narrow  pass,  and  one  on 
the  other.  This  frightful  array  alarmed  Bascom's 
companion,  and  his  "  courage  oozing  out  "  entirely, 
he  declined  advancing  any  farther ;  but  on  Bascom 
the  effect  was  just  the  reverse.  His  dark  brow 
was  knit,  his  lips  strongly  compressed,  every  muscle 
seemed  tense  with  concentrated  resolve  and  cour- 
age, and  his  keen,  penetrating  eye,  kindling  to  its 
intensest  severity,  seemed  almost  to  shoot  out 
arrows  of  flame.  In  this  state,  with  an  aspect  ter- 
ribly defiant,  he  rode  forward,  and  as  he  approached, 
cast  at  each  of  the  ruffians  in  turn,  such  a  piercing 
glance,  as  seemed  to  penetrate  them  through,  and 
caused  them  to  quail  and  cower.  Not  one  of  the 
three  dared  to  meet  his  scathing  look ;   not  one 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.       105 

dared  attack  him ;  not  one  had  even  the  courage 
to  speak,  and  Bascom  rode  on  unmolested. 

His  friend  now,  seeing  danger  over,  quickened 
his  pace,  and  soon  overtaking  him,  began  to  apolo- 
gize for  his  cowardly  desertion.  Bascom  replied, 
that  he  supposed  the  man's  cowardice  had  been 
well  punished  by  his  .ihame,  but  that  no  such  man 
could  ride  at  his  side,  and  accordingly  required  him 
to  ride  at  a  respectful  distance  beliind  him,  which 
he  did,  until  they  parted. 

It  was  in  this  year,  or  the  preceding  one,  that 

Mr.  Bascom  made  the  acquaintance  of  that  great 

statesman   and    orator- — now  lately  deceased  — 

Hon.  Henry  Clay.     The  latter,  having  himself  a 

reputation  for  eloquence,  equal,  at  least,  to  any 

man  in  the  United  States,  was  naturally  attracted 

by  young  Bascom's  fame  as  a  pulpit  orator,  and 

went  to  hear  him.     His  admiration  of  the  power 

of  oratory,  strongly  prepossessed  him  in  favor  of 

one  who,  though  yet  but  a  youth,  was  capable  of 

exercising  a  power  over  the  multitude  by  his  com- 

manding  eloquence,  which  but  few  public  speakers 

ever  attain  lo.     He  sought  an  acquaintance  with 

Bascom,  and  soon  a  friendship  was  formed  between 

them   which    continued,   without    interruption    or 

abatement,  to  the  end  of  life,  a  period  equal  to  one 

third  of  a  century.     Of  this  friendship,  Mr.  Clay 

himself  says,  in  a  letter  written  to  me,  between  the 

time  of  Bascom's  death  and  his  own,  ^'A  friendship 
5* 


lOG  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

between  us  was  contracted,  which  lasted  from  early 
after  our  first  acquaintance  to  the  period  of  his 
death." 

As  an  evidence  of  Mr.  Clay's  sincere  regard  for 
Mr.  Bascom,  we  find  among  his  papers  a  great 
number  of  Mr.  Clay's  letters  to  him,  extending 
through  a  series  of  years,  from  the  date  of  their 
first  acquaintance  until,  by  Bascom's  removal  to 
Lexington,  they  became  near  neighbors.  These 
letters  display  not  only  friendship  the  most  deep, 
but  profound  respect  for  Mr.  B.  as  a  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  frequent  allusions  to  pious  coun- 
sel received  through  his  (Bascom's)  letters.  One 
of  these  letters,  in  particular,  affords  evidence  of 
Mr.  Bascom's  f  iilhfulness  in  warning  the  great  to 
whom  he  had  access,  against  sin.  The  unhappy 
difficulty  between  Messrs.  Clay  and  Randolph,  in 
1826,  was  reported  to  Bascom,  then  at  the  house 
of  his  father.  Fearing  that  it  might  result  in  a 
hostile  meeting,  he  instantly  wrote  to  Clay  in  a 
tone  of  earnest  remonstrance,  hoping  to  prevent 
such  a  result.  In  reply,  Mr.  Clay  says :  '^1  re- 
ceived your  obliging  letter  the  day  after  a  late 
aifdr  with  Mr.  R-mdolph.  It  coaid  not  have  pre- 
vented that  alBur  had  it  been  received  the  day 
before.  As  no  injury  accrued  to  either  party,  my 
regrets  are  limited  to  the  countenance  which  a 
pernicious  practice  may  receive  from  our  example, 
and  to  the  violation  of  religious  obligation.     I  pray 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  107 

you  to  believe  that  I  have  witnessed  your  solicitude 
for  my  welfare  with  the  highest  gratification;  and 
the  moment  at  which  I  received  your  last,  gave  to 
its  friendly  counsel  a  touching  interest." 

On  another  occasion,  Mr.  Clay  writes :  "  You 
see  with  what  freedom  I  communicate  with  you, 
who  are  in  the  pursuit  of  much  higher  and  nobler 
objects  than  any  which  belong  to  the  party  strifes 
of  this  wicked  world.  My  confidence  in,  and 
friendship  for  you,  must  be  my  apology." 

The  intimate  character  of  this  friendship  between 
these  great  men,  gave  rise  to  a  widely  circulated 
and  extensively  credited  rumor,  that  Bascom  was 
educated  and  brought  into  public  notice  by  Mr.  Clay. 
This  report  is  utterly  without  foundation,  for  Bascom 
had  acquired  great  fame  as  an  orator,  and  had  been 
five  or  six  years  in  the  ministry  before  Mr.  Clay 
had  seen  or  heard  him  at  all.  "  It  is  not  true," 
says  Mr.  Clay,  in  the  letter  above  referred  to,  "as 
I  have  seen  it  stated,  that  I  assisted  him  in  his 
education."  The  truth  is,  Bascom  was  indebted, 
under  the  blessing  of  God,  to  his  own  exertions  for 
his  distinction.  He  had  no  preceptor,  no  patron,  but 
on  the  other  hand,  obstructions  were  thrown  in  his 
way  at  almost  every  step,  even  by  his  own  brethren. 

Daring  this  year,  Bascom  filled  a  larger  space 
in  the  public  mind  than  ever  before ;  his  fame  was 
such  as  to  draw  multitudes  to  hear  him,  and  he 
became  a  special   favorite  with  a  number  of  tho 


108        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

most  distinguished  public  men  in  Kentucky.  The 
conference  was  held  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  October  1, 
1818.  A  year  before  this  Bascom  had  visited 
Tennessee  for  the  first  time,  and  his  preaching  at 
the  conference  at  Franklin,  had  attracted  such 
attention  as  to  superinduce  a  strong  anxiety 
among  the  people  about  Nashville,  to  hear  the 
young  "Kentucky  orator,"  as  he  was  popularly 
styled.  At  the  conference  he  preached  several 
times,  with  much  power  and  popularity;  his 
discourses  were  spoken  of  by  some  of  the  most 
prominent  men  in  the  community,  as  superior  to 
any  thing  they  had  heard,  —  crowds  thronged  his 
appointments,  and  his  reputation  as  a,  pulpit  orator 
of  high  order  w;is  so  firmly  established  in  the 
public  mind,  that  it  still  stood  at  the  same  high 
mark  when  he  last  visited  the  city,  after  an 
interval  of  near  thirty  years. 

I  have  lately  received  from  a  literary  lady  who 
was  one  of  his  hearers,  some  account  of  Bascom's 
preaching  at  that  conference.  '^He  was,"  says 
she,  "  the  most  remarkable  man  1  ever  knew. 
He  could  not,  I  think,  preach  an  indifferent,  or 
even  a  medium  sermon.  Some,  to  be  sure, 
objected  to  his  ornate  style,  but  to  him  it  was 
perfectly  natural.  Had  1  then  heard  any  one 
make  this  objection,  I  should  probably  have  said, 
'  As  well  might  you  command  the  sun  not  to  gild 
the  clouds  of  evening,  as  to  forbid  Bascom,  when 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  109 

warmed  with  his  subject,  to  clothe  his  burning 
thoughts  with  those  brilliant  gems  that  flash  out 
30  gloriously  before  our  mental  vision.'  I  almost 
think  I  would  rather  forget  any  other  event  of  my 
life,  than  the  exquisite  pleasure  I  enjoyed  in 
hearing  him  preach  on  the  last  day  of  the  confer- 
ence. His  subject  was  the  seventy-second  Psalm, 
and  he  entertained  us  with  a  grand  and  beautiful 
panorama  of  the  doings  of  the  universal  Lord.  The 
past,  the  present,  and  the  future  all  rose  up  before 
our  view,  radiant  with  the  power,  wisdom,  justice 
and  mercy  of  him,  whose  influences  'come  down 
like  rain  on  the  mown  grass.'  My  mind  was  so 
absorbed  with  the  theme  that  I  was  scarcely  more 
conscious  of  surrounding  objects  than  if  I  had 
been  in  a  blissful  dream.  The  uncomfortable  seat 
seemed  pleasant,  and  when  at  the  close  it  was 
said,  that  the  discourse  had  lasted  more  than  two 
hours,  I  knew  not  how  to  believe  it,  for  to  me  the 
time  had  not  appeared  one  third  of  that  length." 
Such  was  the  opinion  of  one  of  the  literati  of 
Nashville  at  that  time,  of  the  pulpit  powers  of  Mr. 
Bascom,  and  such  was  the  opinion  of  the  commu' 
nity  generally. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
BEGINNING    OF    HIS    DIFFICULTIES    ABOUT    SLAVERY. 

Ccntinued  Opposition  to  him  in  Conference — Strengthened  by  hii 
Opposition  to  the  Anti-Slavery  party — Timely  Interposition  of  his 
old  friend  McMahan — Elected  to  Elder's  ordei-s — Stationed  in 
Louisville,  Ky. —  Difficulties  attending  his  Administration. 

Bascom  was  now  eligible  to  elder's  orders, 
and  his  application  to  thiit  effect  came  up  before 
the  conference  in  regular  course  of  business.  It 
was  hoped  that  now,  at  last,  opposition  —  not  to 
use  the  hiirsher  term  persecution  —  would  cease 
to  follow  this  young  minister,  and  allow  him.  to 
go  on  uninterrupted  in  his  promising  c;ireer  of 
usefulness ;  but  still  a  portion  of  that  pious  and 
honest  body  of  ministers  could  not  get  the  consent 
of  their  own  minds  to  advance  him  to  a  higher  order 
in  the  ministry.  The  objections  brought  out  on 
this  occasion  were  the  same  heretofore  noticed : 
sound  in  doctrine,  unimpeached  in  moral  conduct, 
faithful  in  discipline,  and  abundant  in  labors,  he 
yet  could  not  make  himself  look  like  an  old-times 
Methodist  preacher,  nor  did  he  restrict  himself  to 
homely  phrase  in  his  preaching,  as  some  seemed 
to  think  him  bound  in  duty  to  do.  I  cannot 
think,  with  a  talented  and  venerable  man  who 
took  prirt  in   the  actings  of  that  time,  that  the 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.        11] 

opposers  of  Bascom  "were  under  the  influence  of 
envy,"  because  they  were,  no  doubt,  good  men — 
at  least  with  very  rare  exceptions  —  but  they 
were  certainly  mysteriously  blinded  as  to  the  true 
character  of  this  young  man,  and  the  damage 
they  would  do  the  cause  of  Christianity  in  general, 
as  well  as  Methodism  in  p.irticular,  by  putting 
him  down,  or  attempting  to  cast  discredit  upon 
him  before  the  public.  The  truth  is,  this  thing 
could  not  be  done,  because  nothing  had  been 
brought  against  him  to  which  the  world,  or  even 
any  other  church  attached  any  importance  at  all 
and  hence,  by  how  much  he  was  opposed  by  his 
own  church,  by  so  much  the  sympathies  of  all  others 
clustered  round  him,  until  a  very  common  objection 
to  him  came  to  be,  that  he  was  the  idol  of  the 
worldly,  and  a  favorite  with  the  jjopular  churches. 
His  old  friend,  Mr.  McM.,  who  had  so  fldth- 
fully  stood  by  him  in  his  Ohio  difficulties,  —  and 
who  was  now  in  this  conference  by  transfer  —  on 
a  careful  examination  of  the  state  of  parties  and 
feelings,  became  satisfied  that  the  vote  in  Bascom's 
case  would  be  a  y^ry  close  one,  and  that  his 
friends  had  not  a  vote  to  spare,  if  indeed  they 
had  strength  enough  to  cany  him  through  at  all. 
This  opposition  was  the  more  formidable  from  the 
fact  that  the  slavery  question  had  divided  the 
conference  into  two  parties,  and  as  Bascom  had,  the 
year  before,  acted  with  the  minority  party  on  this 


112  LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

subject,  and  so  became  measurably  identified  \^ith 
it,  and  as  the  anti-slavery  party  was  very  jealous 
of  any  increase  of  strength  in  the  adverse  party, 
there  was  in  this  state  of  the  case  an  additional 
ground  for  apprehension.  Indeed,  the  opinion 
got  some  currency,  that  Bascom's  alleged  foppery 
was  more  the  fretext  than  the  real  cau^e  of  most 
of  the  present  opposition  to  his  election,  and  that 
his  course  on  the  slavery  subject  had  more  to  do 
with  it  than  the  cut  of  his  coat  or  the  style  of  his 
carriage.  Be  this  as  it  might,  his  friend  deemed 
it  important  to  prevent  his  rejection,  if  possible ; 
as  a  thing  in  itself  unjust,  and,  in  the  current 
state  of  popular  feeling  in  the  city,  calculated  to 
bring  injurious  censure  on  the  church.  The  late 
lamented  Thomas  Logan  Douglass  was  known  to 
be  a  warm  friend  to  Bascom,  and  ready  to  employ 
his  tongue  and  raise  his  hand  in  his  behalf,  but 
he  was  at  home  sick,  more  than  twenty  miles 
from  the  seat  of  the  conference.  Expecting  the 
case  to  come  up  on  a  certain  day,  Mr.  McMahan 
mounted  his  horse  the  previous  evening  and  rode 
to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Douglass,  hoping  to  find 
him  able  to  be  brought  to  the  conference,  and 
aid  his  young  friend  through  the  present  difficulty. 
The  next  morning  he  returned  to  the  city,  but 
before  his  arrival  Bascom's  case  had  been  taken 
up,  and  zealously  discussed  ]pro  and  con,  Whep 
he   entered   the   conference-room,  the   leader   of 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  113 

what  was  then  called  the  anti-slavery  or  abolition 
party  was  on  the  floor,  making  a  speech  of  great 
severity  against  Bascom,  by  way  of  concluding 
the  debate,  and  preparing  the  conference  for  a 
decisive  vote  of  rejection.  When  the  speaker 
took  his  seat  McM.  instantly  took  the  floor,  and 
in  a  most  forcible  speech  advocated  the  claims 
of  his  young  friend.  The  vote  was  taken  and 
carried  by  a  majority  of  one  in  favor  of  Mr. 
Bascom,  This  result  was  gratifying  to  the  friends 
of  Bascom,  both  in  and  out  of  the  conference, 
especially  as  it  was  known  that  the  anti-slavery 
party  had  a  decided  majority  in  that  body. 

At  this  conference  Mr.  Bascom  was  appointed 
to  labor  in  the  city  of  Louisville,  Ky.  Up  to  this 
time  that  city  had  belonged  to  Jefferson  circuit 
It  was  now  set  off  as  a  separate  station,  and  the 
task  of  organizing  the  new  station  devolved  on 
him.  The  society  was  small,  numbering  only 
about  one  hundred  members,  white  and  colored, 
at  the  end  of  this  year,  and  as  there  were  among 
these  several  local  ministers  of  age,  who  probably 
thought  their  years  and  standing  entitled  them  to 
a  chief  control  in  regulating  the  affairs  of  the 
society,  which  the  preacher  in  charge  felt  himself 
under  obligations  to  supervise,  his  administration 
was  beset  with  considerable  difficulties.  lie,  how- 
ever, maintained  his  reputation  fully,  both  as  a 
pulpit  man  and  an  administrator. 
8 


CHAPTER  IX. 

DIFFICULTIES    WITH   THE    SLAVERY    LAW. 

Conference  of  1819  at  Nashville  —  Historical  Sketch  of  Slavery  I<aw 
—  Resolves  and  Action  of  Tennessee  Conference  —  Case  of  Dr 
Taylor  —  His  rejection — Protest  of  Minority,  and  opposition  of 
Majority  —  Eishops  McKendree  and  George  address  the  Confer- 
ence in  opposition  to  the  Majority  —  Minory  left  out  of  Delegation 
to  General  Conference —  They  address  the  General  Conference  — 
Repeal  by  General  Conference  of  Rule  of  1812 —  Similarity  of  this 
Controversy  to  that  of  1844. 

At  the  next  annual  meeting  of  the  conference, 
which  was  again  held  in  Nashville  —  Oct.  1, 1819, 
difficulties  which  had  begun  to  operate  in  the 
conference,  at  an  earlier  period,  assumed  a  more 
serious  phase;  I  speak  of  the  slavery  question. 
And  as  it  was  at  this  conference  that  Bascom 
became  prominently  identified  with  one  of  the 
parties,  it  seems  proper,  in  this  connection,  to  give 
a  brief  history  of  the  matter,  as  it  respects  the 
Tennessee  conference,  and  Mr.  Biscom.  There  is 
another  reason  for  doing  so  found  in  the  fact  that 
in  later  difficulties  of  this  class,  Mr.  Bascom  has 
been  charged  with  inconsistency  ;  and  this  charge 
can  be  met  in  no  better  way,  than  by  showing  the 
ground  he  occupied  at  the  very  commencement  of 
his  career  as  a  member  of  the  conference. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  the  General  Confer* 
ence  which  met  in  May,  1812 — and  at  which  the 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  115 

Tennessee  conference  was  erected  —  adopted  a 
resolution  to  the  elFect  that  "  each  annual  confer- 
ence should  enact  its  own  rules  respecting  the 
buying  and  selling  of  slaves,"*  —  every  thing  on 
this  subject  respecting  private  members,  having 
been  struck  from  the  statute  book  in  1808.  In 
the  Tennessee  conference,  when  organized  in 
November  of  that  year,  (1812,)  there  was  found  a 
strong  anti-slavery  feeling,  and  a  disposition  to 
bring  all  under  dealings,  who  were  in  any  manner 
connected  with  slavery,  and  especially  preachers. 
This  is  sufficiently  evident  from  the  flict,  that  a 
local  preacher  had  been  expelled  just  before  the 
meeting  of  the  conference  for  selling  a  slave,  and 
that  in  the  case  of  each  applicant  for  admission 
into  the  itinerancy,  the  record  shows  that  he  was 
carefully  '  examined  on  the  subject  of  slavery,'  as 
well  as  on  'doctrines  and  discipline.' 

During  the  session  of  the  conference,  a  rule  was 
enacted,  based  on  the  grant  of  authority  by  the 
General  Conference  before  referred  to,  requiring 
the  preacher  in  charge  of  a  circuit  to  bring  before 
the  quarterly  conference  any  member  of  the 
church  who  might  buy  or  sell  a  slave,  and  if  that 
body  was  not  satisfied  that  the  purchase  or  sale  was 
made  according  to  'justice  and  mercy ^^  the  offender 
was  to  be  expelled,  but  with  the  rather  incongruous 
right   of  appeal   to   the    annual    conference.      A 

*This  was  properly  an  amendment  of  a  rule  adopted  in  1808. 


116  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

conference  held  in  October,  1815,  at  which  Bishops 
Asbuiy  and  McKendree  presided,  declared  the 
preceding  rule  '  unconstitutional,^  and  a  new  rule 
was  enacted,  forbidding  members  to  buy  or  sell  for 
gain,  or  to  sell  to  those  who  do  buy  and  sell  for 
gain ;  but  they  were  permitted  to  buy  or  sell  to 
keep  husbands  and  wives,  or  parents  and  children 
together.  Preachers  were  not  to  be  ordained 
unless  they  were  willing  to  emancipate  their  slaves, 
if  practicable, '  conformably  to  the  laws  of  the  state 
in  which  they  lived.'  The  conference  of  October, 
1817,  repealed  all  previous  rules  on  the  subject 
of  slavery,  and  enacted  one  instead,  the  spirit  of 
which  was,  that  on  buying  slaves,  the  buyer  was 
to  submit  to  a  decision  of  his  brethren  the  question 
as  to  the  length  of  time  such  slaves  should  serve, 
to  remunerate  the  purchaser  for  his  expenditure ; 
and  they  were  then  to  be  free,  if  the  laws  would 
permit,  without  any  liability  on  the  part  of  the 
owner  for  the  maintenance  or  good  behavior  of  the 
slaves  emancipated,  &c.  At  the  conference  of 
1818  this  rule  was  also  repealed,  and  the  confer- 
ence fell  back  on  the  law  of  1800,  '12,  and  '16. 
substantially  as  it  now  stands,  requiring  traveling 
preachers,  and  candidates  for  office  in  the  church, 
to  emancipate  their  slaves,  where  the  laws  permit, 
and  allow  the  freed  man  to  enjoy  his  liberty.  The 
state  of  Tennessee  did  not  permit  the  emancipation 
of   slaves,  except  by  special   enactment,  and  Id 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  IT? 

Kentucky  such  emancipation  was  so  embarrassed 
by  liabilities  enforced  on  the  owner,  as  to  amount 
to  a  moral  prohibition. 

At  the  conference  of  1819,  this  subject  was 
brought  up  fully  by  the  case  of  Dr.  Taylor.  The 
conference  record  of  this  matter  is  —  "  Gilbert  D. 
Taylor,  recommended  by  the  quarterly  meeting 
conference  of  Shoal  circuit,  as  a  traveling  preacher, 
on  trial,  was  not  admitted,  in  consequence  of  his 
holding  slaves."  It  was  admitted  by  the  confer- 
ence, that  it  was  not  practicable  at  that  time  for 
him  to  emancipate  his  slaves;  for,  after  consid- 
erable debate,  they  authorized  the  presiding  elder 
to  employ  him,  on  his  giving  assurance  that  he 
would  emancipate  his  slaves  ''tvhen  'pradkabW 
His  friends  thought  the  law  of  the  church  did  not 
intend  to  require  what  was  impracticable,  as  a  con- 
dition of  admission  into  the  traveling  connection, 
while  the  other  party  deemed  it  important  to 
preserve  the  anti-slavery  character  of  the  confer- 
ence, even  though  it  should  require  individual 
sacrifice. 

The  full  power  and  zeal  of  the  parties  were  called 
out  on  the  occasion,  and  the  anti-slavery  party 
gained  the  victory  in  the  contest  by  a  majority  of 
about  five.  The  minority  was  much  disappointed 
at  this  result ;  so  much  so,  as  to  record  thek  pro- 
test ag  dnst  the  proceeding.  Mr.  Bascom  was  in 
the  minority,  and  was  the  writer  of  the  protest 


118  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

Below  we  insert  the  protest  at  length  :  — 
"  Be  it  remembered,  that  whereas  the  Tennessee 
annual  conference,  held  in  Nashville,  October  1, 
1819,  have  taken  a  course  in  their  decisions, 
relative  to  the  admission  of  preachers  on  trial  in 
the  traveling  connection,  and  in  the  election  of 
local  preachers  to  ordination,  which  goes  to  fix  the 
frindiiU^  that  no  man,  even  in  those  states  where 
the  law  does  not  admit  of  emancipation,  shall  be 
admitted  on  trial,  or  ordained  to  the  office  of 
deacon  or  elder,  if  it  is  understood  that  he  is  the 
owner  of  a  slave  or  slaves :  that  this  course  is 
taken  is  not  to  be  denied,  and  it  is  avowedly 
designed  to  fix  the  principle  already  mentioned : 
several  cases  might  be  mentioned,  but  it  is  deemed 
unnecessary  to  instance  any  except  the  case  of 
Dr.  Gilbert  D.  Taylor,  proposed  for  admission,  and 
Dudly  Hargrave,  recommended  for  ordination. 
We  deprecate  the  course  taken,  as  oppressively 
severe  in  itself,  and  ruinous  in  its  consequences, 
^\id  we  disapprove  of  the  principle  as  contrary  to 
and  a  violation  of  the  order  and  discipline  of  our 
church.  We  therefore  do  most  solemnly,  and  in 
the  fear  of  God,  as  members  of  this  conference, 
enter  our  protest  against  the  proceedings  of 
conference  as  it  relates  to  the  above  mentioned 
course  and  jyrineiple. 

"Nashville,  October  7,  1819.     Signed,  Thomas 
L.  Douglass,  Thomas  D.  Porter,  William  McMahan. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  119 

Benjamin  Malone,  Ebenezer  Hearne,  Lewis  Gar- 
rett, Barnabas  Mclienry,  William  Allgoocl,  William 
Stribbling,  Timothy  Carpenter,  Thomas  Stringfield, 
Benjamin  Edge,  Joshua  Boucher,  William  Hartt, 
John  Johnson,  Henry  B.  Bascom." 

The  entering  of  this  protest  on  the  conference 
journal  was  strongly  opposed,  and  the  abolition 
party  insisted  on  their  right — being  a  majority, 
to  vote  it  out,  but  the  Bishop  overruled  the 
motion,  and  ordered  the  protest  to  record;  yet, 
even  after  this  order,  the  secretary — who  was  of 
the  majority — made  an  attempt  so  to  arrange  the 
entry,  that  the  bishop's  signature  attesting  the 
record,  should  precede  the  protest,  and  so  divest  it 
of  official  character  and  validity. 

The  members  of  the  minority  party,  though 
decidedly  the  more  talented  of  the  two  divisions, 
were  all  left  out  of  the  delegation  elected  at  that 
time  to  the  General  Conference  of  1820.  The 
attending  bishopS' — McKendree  and  George — had, 
to  be  sure,  taken  decided  ground  with  the  minor- 
ity, in  addresses  delivered  before  the  conference, 
yet  they  (the  minority)  would  have  no  one  of 
their  own  body  in  the  General  Conference,  to 
represent  their  views  and  wishes.  They  therefore, 
drew  up  an  address  to  the  General  Conference, 
setting  forth  their  grievances,  detailing  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  dominant  party,  and  praying  that 
the  power  of  legislating  on  the  subject  of  slavery 


120  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM 

might  be  taken  out  of  the  hands  of  annual  confer- 
ences. In  an  appendix  they  gave  the  statutes 
against  emancipation,  which  were  in  force  within 
the  territory  of  the  Tennessee  conference,  with  a 
legal  opinion  respecting  those  statutes  drawn  up 
by  0.  B.  Hays,  Esq.,  and  approved  by  Hon.  Felix 
Grundy.  The  preparing  and  printing  of  this 
address  was  entrusted  to  Mr.  Bascom.  It  was 
intended  only  for  members  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence, and  for  the  signers  of  it;  for  the  desire  was 
to  keep  this  fimily  feud  from  the  world;  accord- 
ingly, though  a  few  copies  were  printed,  it  was 
not  puhli shed ;  and  at  the  close,  Bascom  certifies 
—  in  perhaps  the  only  copy  now  extant  —  that 
the  work  had  been  done  "in  a  manner  entirely 
private,  except  the  knowledge  of  the  printer." 

The  striking  similarity  of  this  controversy  to  that 
of  1844  is  remarkable.  The  minority,  in  this  case, 
as  in  that,  brought  up  the  laws  of  the  church,  and 
of  the  state,  and  the  opinions  and  constructions  of 
eminent  legal  men  to  protect  their  course  ; — they 
contended  that  what  the  Liws  of  the  church  did  not 
require,  and  the  laws  of  the  state  forbid,  a  Christian 
ought  not  to  be  compelled  to  do.  But  it  seems 
th  it  the  Tennessee  brethren  were  more  ultra  than 
their  brethren  of  1844,  for  they  are  reported  as 
asserting  thit  they  were  resolved  to  carry  their 
point,  because  they  had  the  strength  of  number  to 
do  so,  and  as  intending  to  seek  such  a  modification 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  121 

of  the  slavery  rule,  as  would  finally  exc3lude  from 
the  church  all  slaveholders,  as  well  members  as 
preachers.  In  short,  they  appear  to  have  occupied 
very  nearly  the  exact  ground  upon  which  the 
northern  abolition  party  in  the  church  now  stand. 

This  movement  is  understood  to  have  brought 
about  the  repeal,  in  the  Genral  Conference  of  the 
next  year,  (1820,)  of  the  canon  authorizing  annual 
conferences  to  enact  their  own  rules  relative  to 
buying  and  selling  slaves. 

We  may  here  see,  without  ambiguity,  the  position 
taken  on  this  subject  by  Mr.  Bascom  at  that  early 
date,  and  he  himself  informs  us  that  his  principles 
were  settled  on  that  point  at  a  date  seven  years 
earlier  by  an  address  delivered  by  Bishop  Asbury 
to  the  conference  at  Chillicothe  in  1812. 

From  this  conference  (1819)  Mr.  Bascom  was 
returned  to  Louisville  for  the  next  year.  Diffi- 
culties which  began  to  manifest  themselves  the 
previous  year,  came  out  during  this  in  full  develop- 
ment. The  society  was  inharmonious,  and  a 
number  of  church  trials,  involving  some  of  the 
principal  members  and  local  preachers  took  place ; 
some  of  these  were  excluded  from  the  church, 
and  their  friends  sympathizing  with  them,  a  strong 
opposition  was  raised  against  Mr.  Bascom's  admin- 
istration. Charges  of  mal-administration  were 
presented  against  him  to  his  presiding  elder  (the 
late    Rev-    Barnabas  McHenry,)    who,   regarding 


122        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

them  as  frivolous,  or  founded  chiefly  in  prejudice, 
failed  to  have  them  prosecuted.  Not  succeeding 
in  this  proceeding,  the  dissatisfied  parties  followed 
both  the  preacher  and  his  elder  to  the  succeeding 
annual  conference  with  sundry  charges.  The 
records  of  that  conference  show  the  presentment 
to  the  conference  of  those  charges,  and  their 
investigation  by  a  committee,  but  though  Mr. 
McHenry  incurred  some  ecclesiastical  censure  in 
the  affair,  it  does  not  appear  that  any  thing 
deserving  reproof  was  established  against  Mr. 
Bascom.  The  year  on  the  whole,  was  one  of  his 
most  unpleasant  ones. 

Notwithstanding  the  opposition,  a  powerful  body 
of  friends  stood  by  him.  When  he  was  about  to 
leave  the  station,  the  following  testimonial  was 
signed  by  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  of  the 
most  respectable  men  of  the  city : 

The  subscribers,  resident  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  its  vicinity, 
understanding  that  Rev.  Henry  B.  Bascom  is  about  to  take  his 
leave  of  us  as  a  minister,  and,  agreeable  to  the  rules  and  regulations 
of  the  Methodist  Church,  will  not  be  returned  to  us  again  the 
ensuing  year — cannot,  consistently  with  our  views  and  feelings,  and 
the  high  and  increasing  regard  we  have  for  Mr.  Bascom,  permit  him 
to  retire  from  among  us,  without  expressing  our  sincere  approbation 
of  his  public  and  private  conduct,  during  a  residence  among  us  of 
About  two  years.  He  has  occupied  the  pulpit  with  more  than 
ordinary  success,  and  almost  universal  acceptance ;  and  in  private 
life  has  exhibited  proof  of  his  uprightness  of  intention,  and  circum- 
spection of  behavior.  "  His  praise  is  in  all  our  churches."  And 
we,  in  company  with  multitudes,  whose  names  will  not  appear 
before  you,  would  rejoice  to  see  him  returned  again  to  this  station, 
in  1821.     If,  however,  thi?  be  found  either  inexpedient  or  impracti 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  123 

Gable,  we  feel  it  our  duty  to  inform  you,  that  he  lives  in  the  hearts, 
and  memory  of  a  grateful  people. 
Louisville,  Septembei-  1820. 

The  following  paper  was  also  addressed  to  Mr 
Bascom  through  the  press,  by  the  late  Wordeii 
Pope,  Esq  : 

Louisville,  September  5,  1820. 

Sir,  —  As  a  member  of  society  here,  and  wishing  the  prosperity 
of  the  Methodist  Church  in  this  place,  I  should  regret  that  past 
events  should  remove  you  from  amongst  us.  But  I  fear  that  the 
schisms  in  this  church  have  assumed  such  a  personal  and  angry 
attitude  that  they  cannot  be  healed  by  any  divine  which  shall  be 
sent  here.  The  church  seems  to  be  split  into  two  parties  who  are 
struggling  for  victory,  and  the  present  angry  feelings,  will,  it  is 
believed,  continue  and  be  displayed  under  any  preacher  who  shall 
be  sent  to  take  care  of,  and  preside  over  the  church  at  this  place. 

It  appears  to  me,  that  you  ought  to  be  supported  by  the  head  of 
the  churches,  by  being  returned  to  this  place.  Nothing  will  do 
unless  the  preacher  shall  be  supported  by  the  power  which  has  the 
right  to  give  the  law  to  the  churches,  and  enforce  it. 

Your  good  standing  in  this  place,  as  a  man  of  talents,  information 
and  amiable  manners,  and  sound  morals,  point  you  out  as  the 
preacher  who  ought  to  be  continued  here. 

/  am,  very  respectfully,  your  most  obedient  seiDant, 
WORDEN  POPE. 

Rev.  H.  B.  BASCOM, 

The  conference  of  1820  was  held  at  Hopkins- 
ville,  Kentucky,  October  4.  An  incident  that 
occurred  on  Mr.  Bascom's  way  to  this  conference, 
would  seem  to  indicate  that,  in  the  opinion  at  least 
of  some  plain  old  Methodists  of  that  time,  he  still 
wore  but  little  of  the  appearance  which  a  Methodist 
circuit  preacher  was  expected  to  exhibit.  On  this 
journey  he  procured  lodgings  one  night  at  the 
house  of  a  plain  old  Kentucky  farmer,  of  German 


124  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

extraction.  After  matters  were  arranged  and 
quieted  for  the  evening,  in  a  manner  to  invite 
conversation,  the  good  host  seemed  inclined  to 
find  out  something  of  the  quality  and  destination 
of  his  gentlemanly  looking  guest;  and  Bascom, 
on  finding  the  old  gentleman's  inquisitiveness, 
appears  to  have  mischievously  resolved  to  follow 
no  lead  given,  but  to  answer  questions  only  as 
they  were  put  to  him  singly  and  pointedly.  He 
has  often  related  the  dialogue  to  me,  and  it  was 
very  nearly  in  the  following  language. 

Host.     Traveling,  I  suppose  ? 

Bascom.     Yes,  sir. 

H.     Wich  way  you  from  ? 

B.     Northward. 

H,     Wat  place  in  de  nort  ? 

B.     Louisville. 

H.     You  are  going  sout,  I  suppose  ? 

B.     Yes,  sir. 

K     How  far? 

B.     Not  out  of  this  state. 

H.     To  wat  place  ? 

B.     To  Hopkinsville. 

H.     You  going  to  attend  court  dare  ? 

B.     No,  sir. 

H.     You  are  not  a  lawyer,  den  ? 

B.     No,  sir,  not  a  lawyer. 

H,     A  doctor,  may  be  ? 

B.     No  sir,  not  a  physician. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  125 

H.     You  might  be  a  bolitician.  or  a  marchant  ? 

B.     Neither,  sir, 

H.     Den  wat  is  your  brofession  ? 

B.     A  preacher. 

H.  A  breacher !  A  church  clergyman,  I 
suppose. 

B.     No,  sir. 

H.     A  Bresbyterian  ? 

B.     Not  a  Presbyterian  preacher,  neither. 

H.     Nor  a  Baptist  ? 

B.     No. 

H.  Den  I  gif  it  up :  wat  sort  of  breacher  are 
you? 

B.     Methodist. 

K  A  Metliodid  breacher!  Well,  well;  1 
dought  I  was  a  britty  coot  judge  of  Methodist 
breachers,  but  I  declare  if  I  was  to  go  out  to  shoot 
methodist  breachers,  I  nefer  would  snap  at  you 
for  one. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Kentucky  C-onference  Formed,  and  Bascom  falls  into  it  —  Sent  to 
Madison  Circuit — Supposed  Object — His  quiet  Submission  —  A 
Turkey  shot  during  Preaching  —  Storm  on  the  Mountain  — 
Shamed  by  the  daring  of  the  Mountain  Girls  —  His  Sister  dies  and 
beqiieatlis  him  the  care  of  her  Infant  Daughters  —  Next  Year 
Labors  an  Hinkston  Circuit  —  Kesolves  to  leave  the  Conference  — 
Visits  Ohio  and  Preaches  —  Transferred,  and  Appointed  to  Brush 
Creek. 

The  General  Conference,  held  in  May  of  this 
year  had  provided  for  the  creation  of  a  new  con- 
ference, embracing  that  part  of  the  Tennessee 
conference,  and  that  part  of  Ohio  conference  which 
lay  in  the  state  of  Kentucky.  The  Tennessee 
and  Kentuck}^.  preachers  now  met  together  for 
the  last  time  in  conference,  and  received  their 
appointments ;  and  this  was  the  last  of  Bascom's 
connection  with  the  Tennessee  conference. 

No  bishop  was  present  at  the  Hopkinsville  con- 
ference, and  the  President  pro  tem  was  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  anti-slavery  or  abolition  party,  with 
whom  Bascom  was  not  at  all  a  favorite.  He  was 
also  understood  as  sympathizing  with  the  party 
opposed  to  Bascom  in  the  Louisville  difficulties. 
Whether  these  circumstances  had  their  influence 
in  making  the  appointments  or  not,  at  least  it  is 
certain  that  some  astonishment  was  expressed  when 
He  read  out  - — "Madison  circuit,  Henry  B.  Bascom." 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  127 

After  seven  years  of  regular  work  in  the  itinerancyj 
and  at  a  time  when  he  had  more  fame,  probably, 
as  a  pulpit  orator,  than  any  other  man  in  the  south- 
west, it  seemed  singular  that  he  should  be  sent  to 
one  of  the  most  rough  and  unrefined  fields  of  labor 
to  be  found  in  the  whole  conference  ;  and  generally 
if  not  universally,  both  by  friends  and  opposers, 
the  proceeding  was  looked  on,  and  spoken  of,  as 
intended  to  be  punitive  ;  but  for  what  precise 
cause,  or  supposed  offence  was  a  matter  to  be 
conjectured.*  Bascom,  however,  went  quietly  to 
his  work,  as  if  he  had  no  suspicion  of  the  motive 
which  brought  about  the  appointment,  and  was 
cordially  welcomed  back  by  his  old  mountain  parish- 
ioners. The  country  was  as  rough  as  ever,  and 
the  people  generally  poor-;  but  the  very  romantic 
wildness  of  the  country  was  congenial  with  his 
feelings;  the  love  of  adventure  and  excitement 
here  found  more  food  than  in  the  monotony  of  city 
life ;  and  he  enjoyed  the  rude  hospitality  of  the 
sincere-hearted  foresters,  in  coarse  and  scanty  fare, 
more  than  he  did  the  luxuries  and  display  of  the 
rich. 

He  used  to  tell,  with  much  app;irent  pleasure, 
of  a  dinner  he  enjoyed  with  particular  satisfaction. 


*The  late  Rev.  B.  McHenry,  in  a  letter  dated  May,  1821,  informs 
Mr.  Bascom  that  a  certain  preacher  said,  "  We  hope  to  get  clear  of 
Bascom  this  year,  for  he  is  sent  to  a  hard  mountain  circuit,  and  we 
hare  no  idea  that  he  will  submit  to  it." 


128  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

lie  was  preaching  in  a  cabin,  which  was  at  onee 
church  and  dwelling.  The  people  were  listening 
with  seriousness  and  deep  attention  to  the  truths 
of  the  gospel,  when,  in  the  very  midst  of  his 
sermon,  his  host,  who  sat  near  the  door,  suddenly 
rose  from  his  seat,  snatched  the  gun  from  two 
wooden  brackets  upon  which  it  lay  against  the  joist, 
went  hastily  out,  fired  it  oj0f,  and  returning,  put  the 
gun  back  in  its  place,  and  quietly  seated  himself 
to  hear  the  remainder  of  the  sermon.  The  whole 
affair  had  hardly  consumed  as  much  time  as  it 
requires  to  read  this  account  of  it,  and  in  a  very 
few  moments  all  was  going  on  as  smoothly  as  if  no 
interruption  had  occurred.  After  service  was 
ended,  Bascom  inquired  of  the  man  the  meaning 
of  his  strange  conduct.  ."  Sir,"  said  he,  "  we  were 
entirely  out  of  meat,  and  I  was  perplexed  to  know 
what  we  should  give  you  for  dinner,  and  it  was 
preventing  me  from  enjoying  the  sermon,  when  the 
Good  One  sent  a  flock  of  wild  turkeys  this  way ; 
I  happened  to  see  them,  took  my  gun  and  killed 
two  at  a  shot ;  my  mind  felt  easy,  and  I  enjoyed  the 
remainder  of  the  sermon  with  perfect  satisfacdon." 
On  one  occasion  he  was  overtaken  by  a  storm  in 
passing  over  a  mountain,  not  far  from  the  three 
forks  of  Kentucky  river.  The  peals  of  thunder 
and  flashes  of  lightning  were  terrific,  and  his  horse 
became  so  much  frightened,  that  he  could  not  in 
safety  remain  mounted  j  and  alighting,  he  proceeded 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  129 

on  foot;  leading  his  horse  by  the  bridle.  He  seemed 
to  be  enveloped  in  a  cloud  heavily  charged  with 
electricity ;  and  tree  after  tree  was  shivered  by  the 
destructive  fluid  near  his  path.  Presently  a  bolt 
struck  a  tree  at  the  very  verge  of  his  path,  bis 
horse  fell  to  the  ground,  and  he  was,  himself,  much 
stunned  by  the  shock.  Recovering,  however,  he 
felt,  as  he  declared,  a  very  peculiar  exhileration 
of  spirits,  a  sort  of  excitement  which  he  had  never 
felt  before,  and  never  did  afterwards,  not  very 
unlike  the  effect  of  inhaling  exhilerating  gas.  He 
felt  as  if  he  must  break  out  in  vehement  declama- 
tion, or  shout  to  the  mountains  at  the  top  of  his 
voice.  This  effect  remained  for  hours;  and  even 
after  he  had  performed  the  religious  services  of 
the  day  —  which  were  sufficiently  excited  and 
fervid  —  he  still  felt,  as  he  supposed,  like  one 
intoxicated  with  spirituous  drink. 

On  another  occasion  he  was  at  the  house  of  an 
old  friend,  on  the  Kentucky  river,  where  he  had 
preached  in  the  day ;  and  for  the  accommodation 
of  some  families  residing  at  too  inponvenient  a 
distance  to  attend  worship  at  the  regular  Diace. 
he  had  an  appointment  at  night  some  thr^^f  -j 
four  miles  off  in  the  mountains.  The  path  was  so 
s:eep  and  rough  as  to  render  it  nearly  impossible 
to  pass  over  it  on  horseback,  and  he  must  there- 
fore make  the  journey  on  foot,  and  as  there  were 
Qo  accommodations  for  lodging  at  the  place  of 


180  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

preaching,  he  must  return  after  the  meetmg  to 
the  house  of  his  friend  on  the  river.  The  evening 
was  cloudy  and  threatened  a  storm,  and  the 
prospect  of  threading  this  rugged  path  in  the 
darkness  of  night,  beset  on  every  side  by  wolves 
and  other  wild  beasts,  perhaps  under  the  pel  tings 
of  an  angry  storm,  and  all  for  the  purpose  of 
preaching  to  four  or  five  persons,  was  any  thing 
but  cheering ;  and,  according  to  his  own  account, 
he  felt  inclined  to  find  an  excuse  for  neglecting 
the  very  uncovetable  service.  He  consulted  his 
friend,  with  the  hope  of  securing  his  approbation 
in  the  course  to  which  he  was  inclined.  In  the 
midst  of  this  hesitancy,  and  when  it  had  come 
to  be  time  to  start,  the  two  stout,  blooming  and 
fearless  daughters  of  his  host  began  to  rally  him 
on  the  subject  of  his  want  of  courage,  and  closed 
by  saying:  "We  will  go  along  with  you,  and 
keep  the  wolves  off  you;"  and  suiting  the  action 
to  the  word,  they  cast  on  their  sun  bonnets,  called 
up  three  or  four  large  dogs,  and  in  a  few  moments 
were  bounding  away  towards  the  mountain  gorge 
by  which  he  had  to  pass  out,  with  the  dogs  follow- 
iiiL';,  ind  the  young  preacher,  more  than  half 
ashamed,  pressing  hard  on  the  rear. 

Within  this  year  his  sister  Clara,  who  had  been 
married  several  years,  died.  Henry  was  her  great 
favorite,  and  she,  in  her  last  moments,  bequeathed 
her  two  infant  daughters  to  him.     He  became  ;j 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  131 

father  to  them,  supplied  their  wants,  had  them 
well  educated,  and  had  the  pleasure  to  see  them 
married  to  honorable  and  pious  husbands,  and 
comfortably  settled  in  life,  and  to  be  well  assured 
that  they  were  entirely  worthy  so  advantageous 
an  alliance.  "  No  f  ither,"  says  a  friend,  speaking 
of  the  case,  "ever  felt  more  tender  solicitude  for 
the  welf  ire  of  his  own  children,  than  did  Bascom 
for  the  sacred  bequest  of  his  dying  sister." 

The  next  year  he  was  appointed  to  labor  on  old 
Hinkston  circuit  —  the  third  man  —  showing  that 
there  was  still  an  influence  working  adversely  to 
him.*  This  opposition  he  felt  to  be  oppressive, 
and  thought  it  unjust,  and  therefore  resolved  to 
make  an  effort  to  take  himself  out  of  its  way. 
With  this  view,  and  for  the  purpose  of  being 
nearer  to  his  father,  who  was  now  growing  old  and 
rather  infirm,  he  procured  a  transfer  to  the  Ohio 
conference,  in  which  his  ministerial  career  had  been 
commenced.  A  short  time  before  his  transfer,  he 
came  over  into  Ohio,  and  attended  a  camp-meeting 
on  Brush  Creek  circuit,  not  far  from  West  Union. 
Here  I  met  him  after  a  separation  of  six  years. 
At  that  separation  —  in  1816 — he  was  a  youth, 
in  the  fourth  year  of  his  ministry,  now  he  was  in 

=*  That  the  talents  and  faithfulness  of  Mr.  Bascom  were  not  how- 
ever, wholly  unappreciated  by  the  conference,  we  have  evidence  in 
>he  fact  that  they  elected  him  to  the  responsible  post  of  committee- 
rfian,  to  co-operate  with  tlie  committee  of  the  Ohio  conference  in  the 
establishment  and  or^ranization  of  Augusta  College. 


132  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

the  tenth  year  of  his  ministry,  and  had  acquired 
an  extended  fame  as  a  pulpit  orator.  As  no  man 
had  been  more  largely  debtor  to  his  early  ministra- 
tions than  I,  so  no  one  could  be  more  eagerly 
anxious  to  hear  him  again  than  I  was.  And 
hearing  him,  my  extravagant  expectations  were 
more  than  realized.  All  appeared  delighted,  and 
multitudes  were  deeply  impressed  by  his  sermons. 
Old  people  talked  with  pride  of  his  having  started 
from  among  them  but  a  few  years  previous,  an 
untaught  boy,  and  each  one  seemed  ambitious  of 
the  honor  of  having,  in  some  way,  aided  to  "bring 
him  out,"  and  now  each  one  had  foreseen  from 
the  first  that  he  "was  to  become  a  great  man  some 
day."  At  the  conference  of  that  autumn  he  was 
appointed  to  that  —  Brush  Creek  - —  circuit. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

CHURCH   REFORM,    ETC 

First  Conversation  on  that  Subject — History  of  the  "  Suspendfiv-s 
Resolutions  "  —  Bascom's  Views  and  Feelings  —  Sent  to  Steuben- 
ville  Station  —  Elected  Chaplain  to  Congress. 

In  riding  together  on  horseback  more  than 
a  hundred  miles,  to  attend  the  conference,  the 
subject  of  a  change  in  the  government  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  first  introduced 
by  him.  As  his  relation  to  this  subject  must,  in 
justice,  occupy  a  place  in  this  biographical  sketch, 
it  may  be  as  well  to  call  it  up  in  this  place. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1820,  it  was 
proposed  by  a  part  of  the  delagates  so  to  change 
the  mode  of  appointing  presiding  elders,  that 
instead  of  being  appointed  by  the  bishops,  they 
should  be  elected  by  the  members  of  the  annual 
conferences.  The  question  was  warmly  contested ; 
in  favor  of  the  change  it  was  argued,  that  as  the 
presiding  elders  had  the  oversight  of  the  preachers 
in  the  absence  of  the  bishops,  these  preachers 
ought  of  right  to  elect  the  men  by  whom  they 
were  to  be  governed;  on  the  other  side,  it  was 
contended,  that  the  presiding  elders  were  properly 
the  officers  of  the  bishop,  deputed  by  him  to 
attend  to  certain  duties  in  his  stead  and  in  his 


134  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

absence,  and  it  was  fit  and  proper  that  the  bishop 
should  have  the  appointment  of  his  own  agents  by 
whom  he  was  required  to  carry  on  the  great 
itinerant  machinery  of  the  church.  Finally,  it 
was  agreed  to  refer  the  subject  to  a  committee  of 
six  members,  —  three  from  each  side, —  who  were 
instructed  to  report  some  compromise  measure, 
upon  which  the  parties  might  harmonize.  Such  a 
plan  the  committee  reported,  and  the  conference 
adopted  with  considerable  unanimity.  But  shortly 
afterwards,  a  bishop  elect,  and  a  bishop  in  office^ 
reported  to  the  conferences,  that,  believing  the 
new  rule  to  be  in  violation  of  a  constitutional 
restriction  on  the  power  of  the  General  Conference, 
they  could  not,  in  good  conscience,  enforce  the 
rule  in  their  administration.  This  declaration 
created  no  small  excitement  in  the  body ;  the 
bishop  elect  especially,  was  censured  by  one  party 
for  a  supposed  attempt  to  exercise  a  veto  power, 
even  before  ordination,  while  the  other  applauded 
him  for  his  independence  and  vigilance  in  guarding 
the  constitution.  The  new  rule  was  finally  sus- 
pended for  four  years,  but  its  suspension,  with  the 
attendant  circumstances,  caused  an  excitement  to 
go  out  from  the  conference,  which  spread,  first 
among  the  preachers,  and  then  among  the  people, 
until  it  resulted  in  the  secessions  of  1828  -  9. 

At  the  date  of  which  we  are  speaking,  (1822,) 
the  subject  under  notice  had  not  attr.icted  very 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM        135 

general  attention  in  the  west,  but  ir  was  now 
beginning  to  be  talked  of —  among  the  preachers 
more  particularly.  A  periodical  had  been  com- 
menced at  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  in  1821,  which 
soon  came  to  be  devoted  chiefly  to  the  discussion 
of  church  politics ;  a  few  copies  of  this  work  had 
been  distributed  through  the  west,  and  it  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Bascom.  I  learned 
from  him,  that  a  course  of  treatment  of  which  he 
had  said  little  or  nothing,  but  which  he  looked  on 
as  oppressive  and  unjust,  had  prepared  his  mind 
to  look  to  the  polity  of  the  church  as  the  source 
of  his  wrongs.  With  feelings  chafed  and  sore,  he 
was  not  tardy  in  imbibing  most  of  the  leading 
views  and  opinions  respecting  church  government, 
which  appeared  in  the  periodical  already  mentioned. 
He,  however  said  very  little  on  the  subject,  and 
took  no  active  part  in  the  proceedings  of  the  day, 
to  promote  a  change  in  the  government  until 
several  years  later. 

The  year  from  the  autumn  of  1822  to  1823, 
was  marked  by  nothing  remarkable  in  the  personal 
history  of  Mr.  Bascom.  At  that  period  the  Ohio 
conference  was  separated  from  the  Baltimore  con- 
ference by  the  Ohio  river,  consequently  the  town 
of  Steubenville  was  embraced  in  the  first  named 
conference ;  and  to  that  station  Mr.  Bascom  was 
appointed  in  the  autumn  of  1823  About  the 
time  at  which  he  became  fairly  settled  in  his  new 


136  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

station,  a  company  of  members  of  Congress  from  the 
great  west,  entered  the  mail  coach  at  Wheeling, 
Va.,  on  their  way  to  Washington  city.  Among 
the  topics  of  conversation  introduced  on  the 
journey,  was  that  of  the  chaplaincy  to  Congress. 
Different  ministers  of  distinction  were  named  by 
different  members  of  the  company  with  such 
laudatory  remarks  as  their  several  preferences 
suggested.  Finally  Mr.  Clay,  who  was  one  of  the 
company,  declared  his  firm  belief,  in  very  strong 
language,  that  his  young  friend  Bascom  could  out- 
preach  all  their  preachers  together,  and  proceeded 
in  such  a  strain  of  eloquent  eulogy  on  the  superior 
talents  of  Mr.  Bascom  as  brought,  I  think,  every 
member  present  fairly  over  to  the  support  of  Mr. 
Clay's  nominee ;  and  it  was  there  agreed  that  they 
should  unite  on  Bascom  as  the  western  candidate 
for  the  chaplaincy  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
On  reaching  the  city,  they  carried  their  proposition 
into  effect,  and  elected  Bascom  triumphantly  over 
all  opposition.  Of  all  this  he  knew  nothing  until 
it  was  over,  and  he  was  notified  of  his  election. 
He  obeyed  the  call,  and,  without  unnecessary  delay^ 
went  on  to  enter  upon  the  discharge  of  his  new 
duties. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Bascom's  Debut  before  Congress  —  Causes  of  comparative  Failure-* 
Prejudices  of  Methodists  against  him  —  Preaches  in  the  Country 
to  the  Blacks  —  Amusing  Incident  —  Visits  Baltimore,  but  does 
not  Preach  —  Attends  a  Wedding,  and  takes  firm  stand  against 
Plays — Takes  Passage  for  the  West — Hindered  by  sickness  of 
his  Friend,  whom  he  attends  —  Attends  a  Camp  Meeting  near 
Annapolis,  and  Preaches  like  himself — Visits  Annapolis  and 
Baltimore  —  His  Preaching  in  Baltimore — Visits  Great  Falls 
Camp  Meeting  —  Visits  Baltimore  Camp  —  His  great  Sermon 
there  —  Description  of  it  by  a  lady  —  Frederick  Camp  —  His 
Preaching  —  Bishop  Waugh's  Account  of. 

Mr.  Bascom's  debut  at  Washington,  it  may  as 
well  be  confessed,  was  a  failure.^  This  was  owing 
to  several  causes ;  among  them  the  following  :  — 
The  eulogies  of  Mr.  Clay,  and  of  other  friends, 
had  raised  expectation  so  high  that  it  was  nearly 
impossible  for  any  man  to  measure  up  to  the  higli 
standard.  The  general  prevalence  in  the  west  und 
south-west  of  a  peculiar  species  of  Unitarianism 
had  caused  many  of  the  more  able  of  the  orthodox 
clergy  to  get  much  into  the  habit  of  preaching 

*  This  discourse  was  a  failure  only  relatively  as  compared  witli 
Mr.  Bascom's  sermons  generally.  A  gentleman  of  competent  judg- 
ment, who  heard  it  attentively  himself,  says,  in  a  letter  before  me  — 
"  Mr.  Bascom  was  unfortunate  in  the  length  of  his  sermon ;  this  was 
the  only  objection  I  heard  to  it  at  the  time ;  although  I  should  not 
myself  regard  it  as  a  valid  one  by  any  means  ;  yet  in  a  promiscuous 
audience  it  might  be  so  considered  by  many.  It  was  pronounced  by 
many  men  of  first  respectability  and  intelligence,  a  display  of  mind 
and  energies  to  which  few  can  lay  valid  claim. 


138  LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

long  coutroversiMi  sermons,  and  especially  on  thai 
pu'ticular  point  of  clocirine;  into  this  habit  Mr. 
Bascom  had  fallen,  and  unhappily  he  seemed  to 
overlook  the  f  ict  that  members  of  Congress  have 
a  great  horror  of  long  sermons,  and  of  controversial 
ones,  and  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  northern 
members  were  actually  Unitarian  in  sentiment. 
Besides,  there  was  in  his  composition  a  singular 
timidness,  which  utterly  disqualified  him  for 
making  his  way  among  strangers.  In  this  state 
of  things  he  made  his  appearance  in  the  hall  of 
Congress,  a  total  stranger  to  every  one,  save  some 
two  or  three  members  of  Congress;  the  audience, 
the  scenery,  the  circumstances — everything  around 
him  was  new,  strange,  and  to  his  mind  embarrass- 
ing. He  passed  through  the  introductory  services 
hurriedly,  and  with  a  manner  that  plainly  indicated 
that  he  did  not  feel  at  home.  He  selected  a  text 
and  entered  upon  his  discourse,  but  he  had  not 
his  usual  freedom  of  utterance,  and  frequently 
hesitated  in  his  words.  After  a  time  he  appeared 
less  embarrassed,  but  still  when  he  looked  over 
his  audience,  instead  of  the  willing,  warm  and 
deeply  interested  audiences  he  had  been  accustom- 
ed to  address  in  the  south-west,  he  saw  only  an 
assembly  of  stern,  cold  critics,  and  the  conviction 
of  this  fact  seemed  to  freeze  his  feelings.  Still  he 
struggled  on,  hoping  to  rise  above  the  power  of 
depressing   circumstances;    yet    the    atmosphere 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  139 

around  him  seemed  more  and  more  frigid  and 
oppressive.  Eloquent  in  language,  and  powerful 
in  argument,  he  certainly  was  in  that  discourse ; 
but  it  was  not  that  free  resistless  eloquence  and 
argument  to  which  his  western  audiences  had  been 
accustomed  to  listen,  enraptured  for  hours.  After 
laboring  say  two  hours  —  Mr.  Clay  said  in  a  letter 
to  me,  a  few  months  before  his  death,  he  thought 
it  three  —  he  closed  with  an  evident  feeling  of 
mortification  and  disappointment,  and  in  the  latter 
feeling,  if  not  the  former,  many  of  the  audience 
seemed  to  sympathize  fully. 

Bascom  was  not  a  man  who  could  readily  rise 
above  the  influence  of  such  a  discomfiture,  and 
during  his  stay  in  Washington  he  never  so  far 
recovered  as  to  be  properly  himself  Even  the 
members  of  his  own  church  set  a  most  unjust 
estimate  on  his  talents,  and  in  many  instances 
spake  slightly  of  him  as  minister  and  a  Christian. 
His  health  during  most  of  the  winter  was  bad, 
consequently  he  made  few  acquaintances,  and 
preached  but  little.  He  was  in  a  manner  buried. 
A  few  times  he  went  into  the  country  and  preached; 
on  these  occasions  he  was  more  himself,  yet  not 
fully  so. 

Ou  one  of  these  occasions  he  preached  to  a  large 
congregation  of  colored  people  in  Prince  George's 
county,  and,  as  his  sermon  contained  a  large  portion 
of  life  and   energy,  his  African  auditors  became 


140  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

much  excited,  and  some  of  them  indulged  iu  those 
extravagant  bodily  exercises  so  common  among 
them  under  religious  excitements.  One  of  them, 
in  his  pious  frenzy,  threw  his  head  convulsively  back 
and  struck  an  elderly  negro  by  the  name  of  Davy 
an  unmerciful  blow  on  the  nose.  Davy,  being 
thus  suddenly  disturbed  in  his  quiet  enjoyment, 
and  withal  badly  battered  by  the  blow,  was  thrown 
off  his  guard,  and  sent  back  the  compliment  in  the 
form  of  a  smart  blow  with  the  fist,  dealt  upon  the 
back  of  his  unquiet  neighbor.  The  latter  turning 
quickly  about,  inquired  who  had  slruck  him.  "I 
did,"  responded  Uncle  Davy.  "What  for  you 
strike  me?"  "What  for  you  break  my  nose  wid 
your  head  ?"  "  Becase  I  so  happy,"  responded 
the  other.  "Will  den,"  said  Davy,  "when  eber 
you  get  happy  for  mash  my  nose,  den  I  get 
happy  for  maul  you  in  de  back,  sure."  Bascom 
knew  nothing  of  this  farce  at  the  time,  but  the 
minister  at  whose  invitation  he  was  preaching  sat 
near  enough  to  see  and  hear  it  all,  and  he  related 
it  to  the  writer. 

The  winter  months  passed  sluggishly  away,  and 
in  March  the  writer  of  this  sketch  visited  Bascom 
in  Washington,  and  was  not  a  little  afflicted  to  find 
him  in  poor  health  and  spirits,  almost  whoU}' 
unappreciated,  indisposed  to  extend  his  acquaint- 
ance in  the  east  in  any  quarter,  and  eager  to  return 
to  his  beloved  west  as  the  Indian  to  fly  from  the 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  141 

artificial  of  civilized  life  to  his  wild  forest  home. 
His  friend  urged  him  to  visit  Baltimore  and  make 
the  acquaintance  of  leading  members  and  ministers 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  that  city.  But 
no;  he  s-dd  Baltimore  Methodists  had  joined  the 
hue  and  cry  against  him,  and  he  did  not  feel  that  he 
had  any  call  to  preach  in  that  city.  He  was  desirous 
to  see  the  place,  but  pre-determined  not  to  preach 
there.  To  accommodate  this  whim,  it  was  agreed 
to  visit  Baltimore  near  the  close  of  the  week,  say 
on  Friday,  and  to  prevent  his  preaching  in  the  city 
on  Sabbath,  his  friend  made  two  appointments  for 
him,  the  one  in  the  afternoon  being  at  Elkridge 
Landing,  within  seven  miles  of  the  city. 

During  his  short  stay  in  the  city,  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  several  persons,  whom  he  regarded 
as  special  friends  to  the  end  of  his  life,  and  a  great 
desu'e  was  expressed  that  he  should  preach  in  the 
city.  As  this  could  not  now  be,  in  consequence 
of  the  previous  arrangement  made  to  prevent  it,  a 
large  number  of  persons  from  Baltimore  came  out 
to  hear  him  at  his  afternoon  appointment  in  the 
country.  He  was  at  liberty  in  preaching,  and  the 
desire  now  became  much  stronger  than  before,  that 
he  should  preach  in  the  city;  but  he  promptly 
declined  the  pressing  invitations  given  him,  and 
returned  to  Washington. 

An  incident  in  this  connection  may  be  worth 
mentioning,  as  showing  one  feature  of  Bascom's 


142  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

character.  He  and  his  friend  were  traveling  in  the 
same  vehicle,  and  as  the  latter  had  to  solemnize  a 
marriage  on  the  way  back  to  Washington,  he  took 
Bascom  with  him.  The  young  lady  belonged  to  a 
pious  Methodist  family,  but  the  young  gentleman, 
who  was  gay  and  fashionable,  had  brought  with  him 
from  the  city  a  number  of  young  friends,  of  tastes 
similar  to  his  own.  The  marriage  took  place  after 
dark,  and  the  ministers  were  expected  to  remain 
for  the  night.  Soon  after  supper  plays  were  intro- 
duced, such  as  are  spoken  of  as  "  innocent,"  but 
certainly  silly,  undignified,  and  of  evil  tendency, 
such  as  "  Sister  Phebe,"  and  others  of  like  charac- 
ter, the  capital  object  of  which  is  to  bring  the  sexes 
into  such  contact,  as  under  other  circumstances, 
would  not  be  considered  the  most  delicate  and 
modest.  As  Bascom  was  styled  the  "  fashionable 
preacher,"  it  seemed  not  to  be  doubted  that  he 
would  enter  into  the  enjoyment  of  these  frivolities. 
He  was  accordingly  invited,  but  the  repulse  he 
gave  was  so  stern  and  abrupt,  that  there  was  no 
danger  of  his  being  troubled  farther  on  that  subject. 
Not  satisfied  with  this,  he  spoke  out  fearlessly  in 
condemnation  of  such  amusements  as  utterly  unfit 
for  professors  of  religion,  and  sadly  out  of  place  in 
the  house  of  a  member  of  the  church.  This,  he 
hoped,  would  put  a  check  to  the  proceeding ;  but 
finding  that  he  could  not  succeed  in  this,  he 
promptly  resolved  that  he  would  not  remain  in  the 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  143 

house  where  such  proceedings  were  carried  on. 
Owing  to  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  the  diflQ- 
cult  character  of  the  way,  it  was  out  of  the  question 
to  think  of  going  away  on  wheels,  and  accordingly 
he  ordered  his  horse,  borrowed  a  saddle,  and  leaving 
his  friend  behind,  sought  his  way  out  to  the  public 
road,  and  thence  to  a  tavern,  where  he  tarried  for 
the  night,  and  returned  in  the  morning  for  his 
friend  and  vehicle.  This  step  gave  lasting  offence 
to  a  portion  of  the  company,  including  several 
professors  of  religion,  who  had  engaged  in  the 
amusements  of  the  night;  but,  perhaps,  no  man 
ever  was  more  indifferent  than  Bascom  to  opposition 
elicited  by  a  stern  adherence  to  what  he  regarded 
as  Christian  principle. 

The  session  of  Congress  finally  closed,  I  think, 
in  the  early  part  of  June,  and  Bascom,  anxious  to 
return  to  the  West,  had  himself  booked  for  the 
western  stage,  to  go  out  the  morning  succeeding 
the  adjournment.  Just  at  this  conjuncture,  a  pro- 
vidential circumstance  strongly  developed  another 
trait  in  his  character,  which  deserves  to  be  under- 
stood. After  he  had  entered  his  name  and  paid 
his  passage  across  the  mountains,  his  friend  — 
above  alluded  to  —  came  into  the  city  sick.  No 
sooner  was  this  known  to  Bascom,  than  he  hastened 
to  his  bed-side,  and  finding  him  with  a  high  fever, 
went  himself  for  a  physician  immediately.  The 
attack  proved  stubborn,  and  though  his  friend  was 


144  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

well  provided  for,  in  a  hospitable  and  kind  familyj 
with  every  attention  necessary,  this  would  not 
Misfy  Bascom ;  but,  withdrawing  his  name  from 
^he  stage-coach  book,  he  took  his  position  by  the 
oed  of  his  sick  friend,  and  there  remained  day 
and  night,  administering  medicine,  and  performing 
all  possible  kind  offices,  until  the  disease  was  fairly 
subdued,  and  the  patient  able  again  to  go  out  on 
the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  vocation. 

This  circumstance  not  only  tended  to  prove  how 
wholly  devoted  he  was  to  his  friends,  but  it  inci- 
dentally exerted  an  important  influence  over  his 
subsequent  course  for  years.  Just  as  Bascom  was 
thinking  of  making  another  effort  to  return  to  his 
western  home,  his  friend  urged  him,  with  much 
importunity,  to  attend  with  him  a  camp  meeting  on 
South  river,  some  ten  miles  from  Annapolis ;  and 
this  was  done  under  the  conviction  that  if  Bascom 
could  be  fairly  brought  out  on  his  favorite  theatre 
—  a  forest  camp  meeting  —  "  Richard  would  be 
himself  again."  And  so  it  proved;  for  at  that 
meeting  he  preached  with  an  eloquence  and  power 
that  had  not  been  heard  in  any  of  his  discourses 
previously  delivered  in  that  region. 

It  was  his  purpose  to  return  at  the  close  of  the 
meeting  to  Washington,  and  thence  over  the 
mountains  without  delay,  but  at  this  meeting  he 
became  acquainted  with  a  number  of  prominent 
members  of  the  church  from  Baltimore,  Annapolis, 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  140 

and  several  other  places,  and  to  some  of  them  he 
became  much  attached,  and  he  was  not  now  so 
well  prepared  to  resist  their  earnest  solicitations 
for  him  to  visit  and  preach  in  their  respective 
cities,  as  he  was  before  making  their  acquaintance. 
The  result  was,  that  before  separating,  Bascom  had 
given  a  promise  to  visit  several  of  those  cities 
before  returning  home.  In  fulfillment  of  that 
promise  he  went  from  the  camp  meeting  to  the 
city  of  Annapolis,  and  there  preached  to  an  admir- 
ing multitude.  From  that  place  he  went  to  the 
city  of  Baltimore,  where,  by  this  time,  his  fame 
had  began  to  be  sounded  abroad,  and  a  great 
desire  to  hear  him  prevailed  in  the  community. 

His  first  appointment  in  Baltimore  was  on 
Thursday  night,  in  the  old  Light  street  church. 
The  congregation  was  large  and  deeply  attentive; 
and  though  the  preacher  did  not  enjoy  his  usual 
liberty,  his  discourse  was  received  with  general 
gratification,  not  to  say  enthusiasm,  by  the 
audience.  The  writer  asked  the  opinion  of  one 
who  was  at  that  time  regarded  as  the  most 
eloquent  Methodist  minister  in  the  city,  and  who 
had,  from  rumor,  conceived  a  strong  prejudice 
against  the  preacher.  His  answer  was,  in  sub- 
stance :  "•''  I  had  utterly  misapprehended  the 
character  of  Mr.  Bascom's  talents;  I  had  been 
led  to  believe  that  his  sermons  were  made  up  of 
pretty  borrowings   and  stealings  from  poets   and 


146  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

other  elegant  authors ;  but,  though  he  was  clearly 
not  at  liberty  to-night,  yet  there  was  an  originality 
of  thought,  and  a  strength  of  frame  work  in  his 
sermon  that  none  but  a  master  could  originate 
and  put  together." 

On  the  Sabbath  following  he  preached  again, 
and  the  same  respectable  minister  was  inquired 
of  respecting  the  performance.  "  I  will  answer," 
said  he,  "  by  saying  that  I  abhor  long  sermons, 
and  that  he  preached  nearly  two  hours;  I  not 
only  had  to  stand  all  the  time,  but  to  stand  in  a 
crowd,  and  yet  I  was  not  tired,  and  did  not  think 
the  sermon  more  than  half  an  hour  in  length." 

From  this  time  Bascom  was  ;dmost  an  idol  with 
the  people  of  Baltimore  generally,  and  there  was 
no  house  in  the  city  of  sufficient  capacity  to 
accommodate  his  audiences.  A  week  or  two  after 
this  he  attended  a  large  camp  meeting,  fourteen 
miles  from  Baltimore,  near  the  York  road.  Here 
his  preaching  was  overwhelmingly  powerful  and 
brilliant,  and  the  universal  verdict  appeared  to  be 
that  never  had  such  preaching  been  heard  in  that 
country.  His  fame  flew  on  the  wings  of  all  the 
winds,  and  people  came  twenty  and  thirty  miles 
to  hear  him  preach  a  single  sermon. 

At  this  meeting,  he  for  the  first  time  met  with 
the  late  Rev.  Nicholas  Snethen,  who,  in  his  prime, 
was  regarded  as  the  most  eloquent  and  effective 
field-preacher    that     the    Methodist    Church    in 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  147 

America  had  produced.  The  "old  man  eloquent" 
appeared  greatly  delighted  to  find  himself  so 
effectually  superseded  on  his  own  favorite  field 
of  glory,  by  the  young  orator  of  the  west,  and 
before  the  meeting  closed  he  had  taken  a  promise 
from  Bascom  to  attend  a  camp-meeting  in 
Frederick  circuit,  near  Mr.  Snethen's  residence, 
and  not  far  from  the  old  Straw  Bridge  meeting 
house  —  the  first  Methodist  house  of  worship 
erected  in  Maryland,  if  not  in  America.  He  at 
the  same  time  engaged  to  attend  a  camp  meeting, 
to  be  held  soon  after  on  Baltimore  circuit,  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  miles  from  the  city.  Afterward, 
when  notes  came  to  be  compared,  it  appeared  that 
these  two  meetings  were  to  come  off  at  the  same 
time.  Bascom  had  promised,  under  a  mistake  at 
the  time,  to  attend  both,  and  as  neither  party 
would  relinquish  the  claim,  it  was  in  the  end 
agreed  that  he  should  attend  the  Baltimore  camp 
from  its  commencement  —  Thursday  —  until  the 
Sabbath,  and  then  go  to  the  other  —  a  distance 
of  twenty  miles,  and  remain  from  Monday  morning 
until  the  meeting  ended  —  Wednesday. 

When  the  time  arrived,  Mr.  Bascom,  accompanied 
by  his  friend,  attended  the  Baltimore  camp.  A 
large  number  had  encamped  on  the  ground,  the 
congregation  was  very  large,  and  Bascom  preached 
very  much  as  of  late  he  had  been  accustomed  to 
preach — to  the  admiration  of  all,  and  the  profiting 


148  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

of  thousands.  But  the  Sabbath  was  the  great  day 
of  the  feast;  it  seemed  as  if  the  country  and  city 
had  poured  out  their  vast  aggregate  of  population, 
and  the  congregation  was  immense.  At  eleven 
o'clock  Mr.  Bascom  entered  the  pulpit  all  trem- 
])ling  with  the  weight  of  his  fearful  responsibility, 
—  the  very  leaves  of  his  hymn  book  rattled  with 
the  tremor  of  his  hand,  while  he  read  his  hymn. 
His  theme  was  the  great  Gospel  Commission,  and 
never  did  even  he  treat  that  sublime  subject 
with  so  much  grandeur  and  power.  He  had  not 
preached  much  over  half  an  hour,  until  every  soul 
in  the  vast  assembly  was  up  and  pressing  toward 
the  stand,  amazed,  weeping,  wonder-stricken.  The 
stillness  of  death  reigned,  save  that,  in  his  mo- 
mentary pauses,  a  burst  of  feeling  would  gush  out 
involuntarily;  but  the  moment  he  resumed,  all 
was  checked  and  hushed.  But  when,  near  the 
close,  he  came  to  dwell  on  the  encouragement 
vouchsafed  to  the  faithful  minister  of  grace,  as 
found  in  the  promise  of  the  Saviour,  "  Lo,  I  am 
with  you  always,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world," 
there  was  an  unutterable  unclion,  which  seemed 
to  fall  like  rain  on  the  assembly,  and  the  out- 
bursts of  deep  feeling  could  no  longer  be  held  in 
restraint.  In  the  midst  of  his  thrilling  descrip- 
tion of  the  sustaining  power  and  presence  of  the 
Saviour — supporting  the  faithful  minister  under  his 
biu'dpu  of  toil  and  trial,  whispering,  when  all  other 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  149 

friends  deserted,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you,"  soothing 
his  anguish  on  the  bed  of  sickness,  and  going 
with  him  through  the  cold  stream  of  death — when 
he  appeared  to  have  said  all  that  could  be  said, 
and  every  heart  responded,  "  It  is  enough,"  his 
eye  lit  on  two  very  aged  ministers.  Rev.  Nelson 
Reid  and  Rev.  Joseph  Toy,  the  latter  entirely 
blind,  and  both  trembling  on  the  very  verge  of 
the  grave ;  and  when  he  saw  them  smiling  through 
their  tears,  and  clinging  with  the  strength  of  a 
death-grip  to  the  glorious  promise,  whose  divine 
treasures  he  was  unfolding,  he  exclaimed,  as  no 
man  could,  "  Think  you,  that  the  Author  of  this 
divine  promise  is  going  to  desert  a  Toy  in  his 
blindness,  or  a  Reid  in  his  age  and  infirmity,  after 
they  have  worn  Hfe  out  in  his  cause?  Never, 
never,  never!  Faithful  fathers,  it  was  Jesus  who 
just  now  whispered,  ^Lo,  I  am  with  you.' "  I  know, 
that  this  imperfect  description  can  give  the  reader 
no  adequate  idea  of  the  scene.  To  obtain  this, 
he  must  imagine  the  pitch  of  intense  feeling  to 
which  the  mighty  multitude  was  wrought  up;  he 
must  imagine  before  him  the  two  venerable  minis- 
ters, furrowed,  bent,  gray,  blind,  trembling  with 
age,  and  trembling,  yet  more  violently,  with  deep 
emotion;  he  must  see  them,  as  the  night-fiU  of 
death  is  closing  around  them,  clinging,  with 
delighted  confidence,  to  the  omnipotent  promise  of 
Christ,  as  one  sinking  in  the  deep  dark  sea  clinga 


150  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

to  the  spar  thrown  out  to  him ;  he  must  conceive 
of  the  ahuost  supernatural  manner  and  inspiration 
of  the  preacher,  and  the  peculiar  crisis — the 
flood-tide  of  feeling  at  the  moment;  and  then, 
in  such  a  state  of  things,  see  the  preacher  turn  to 
the  old  time-worn  ministers,  and  make  a  personal 
application  of  the  promise  to  them,  in  such  a 
manner,  that  one  seems  to  hear  the  voice  of 
Christ  himself  addressing  them  from  Olivet,  by 
name.  Then,  only,  may  he  form  some  idea  of 
the  powerM  efiect  *     That  effect  was  like  sheet- 

*  The  following  animated  description  of  that  sermon  was  written 
at  the  time  by  a  lady  of  Baltimore,  in  a  letter  to  her  friend,  and  ap 
peared  in  some  of  the  periodicals  of  the  day : 

"  The  horn  blew,  the  noise  ceased,  the  gathering  crowds  dispersed, 
and  each  one  sought  a  seat.  An  awful  stillness  reigned  —  every 
thing  seemed  to  give  magic  and  grandeur  to  the  scene  —  the  winds 
of  heaven  were  lulled,  and  scarce  a  breeze  ruffled  the  trees  —  the 
very  birds  ceased  their  vocal  melody — expectation  sat  on  every 
face  —  when,  lo  !  this  wonder  from  the  west  arose.  Every  eye 
brightened,  and  every  ear  was  attentive.  Dignity  marked  his  de- 
portment, and  intelligence  flashed  from  his  keen  eye.  He  appeared 
like  the  genius  of  the  forest,  whose  lowering  oaks  overshaded 
him,  come  to  hunt  infidelity  from  the  earth,  and  to  extirpate  deism 
for  ever.  Never,  perhaps,  was  there  a  more  magnificent  display 
of  oratory.  On  the  Messiahship  and  regal  dominion  of  Christ,  he 
was  sublimely  yrand  beyond  description.  His  style  and  language 
are  energetic  and  vehement  —  he  is  like  a  mighty  torrent,  impatient 
of  restraint,  and  rolls  with  such  impetuosity,  that  you  are  compelled 
to  follow.  In  his  flights  he  moves  with  the  velocity  of  a  whirlwind  ; 
in  the  same  moment,  he  will  take  you  to  heaven,  and  dive  with  you 
to  hell.  He  triumphantly  answered  every  argument  a  Paine  or  a 
Voltaire  could  advance  ;  he  defied  the  infidel  to  trace  time  and 
search  the  chronicles  of  eternity,  and  find  a  parallel  to  the  sacrifice 
of  the  Saviour  of  the  world ;  he  bid  the  philosopher  go  on  contem 
station's  trembling  wing,  and  reason,  with  her   glimmering   light 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.       151 

lightning,  on  the  whole  assembly,  and,  above  all, 
on  those  old  veterans  of  the  cross.  The  burst  of 
feeling  was  tremendous;  and  the  preacher,  com 
pletely  exhausted  by  two  hours  of  extraordinary 
exertion,  sat  down  amid  sobs,  and  tears,  and 
shouts  of  joy. 

On  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  Mr.  Bascom  and 
his  friend  rode  to  the  house  of  Col.  Guest,  a  vener- 
able officer  of  the  revolution,  and  the  next  morning 
to  the  Frederick  camp.  The  number  of  persons 
encamped  on  the  ground  was  supposed  to  be  even 

ussist  —  and  what  could  they  do  against  the  Gospel  1  Though 
founded  by  a  Jewish  peasant  — propagated  and  handed  down  by  a 
few  poor  fishermen  selected  from  a  Gallilean  shore  —  yet,  even  these 
men  had  shaken  imperial  Rome  to  her  centre,  and  confounded 
Greece  with  all  her  learning.  This  Gospel  was  now  riding 
throughout  the  world  in  triumph ;  and  pagan  temples  of  the  East 
were  falling,  and  the  mosque  of  the  musslemen  was  crumbling,  and 
the  rose  of  Sharon  should  yet  bloom  in  the  desert,  and  blossom  on 
the  mountains  of  eternal  snoAV.  His  description  of  what  a  faithful 
minister  ought  to  be,  exceeded  even  Cowper  on  Paul.  He  must 
/itive  had  an  eye  that  never  winked,  a  judgment  that  never  erred, 
and  a  wing  that  never  tired.  He  was  to  go  wherever  misery  was  to 
6e  found,  or  man  reclaimed;  he  was  to  consider  this  earth  as  his 
birth-right,  the  world  as  his  parish,  and  the  universe  as  his  diocese; 
he  was  to  freeze  under  the  pole  of  the  north,  and  burn  under  tJie 
(ine  of  the  south ;  he  was  not  to  shrink  from  the  palace  of  infidelity, 
or  tremble  at  the  chair  of  magistracy ;  for  he  had  the  promise  of  the 
Saviour :  "  and  lo  !  I  am  with  you  always."  He  preached  until  he 
was  exhausted,  and  was  compelled  to  cease.  The  words  last  uttered 
.vere  responded  by  many,  and  vibrated  on  the  listening  multitude  — 
"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest."  Never  could  he  have  been 
more  gratified  than  on  that  day — hundreds  and  thousands  of 
people,  among  whom  were  beauty  and  talents,  all  gazing  in  mute 
astonishment  at  this  star  from  the  West  —  this  Kentucky  orator  — 
this  American  Cicero"  M******. 


162  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

greater  than  at  the  other  camj: ;  and  as  an  appoint- 
ment had  been  published  on  the  Sabbath  for  Bascom 
to  preach  on  this  morning,  at  eleven  o'clock,  his 
spreading  fame  had  attracted  a  large  additional 
number  to  hear  the  great  orator.  But  his  exertions 
on  the  preceding  day  had  overtasked  his  physical 
energies,  and  when  the  hour  for  preaching  was  at 
hand,  it  was  found  that  he  had  to  retire  to  bed 
instead  of  going  into  the  pulpit,  and  his  place  had 
to  be  supplied  by  his  friend. 

By  the  preaching  hour  in  the  afternoon,  he  had 
become  so  much  better  as  to  be  able  to  preach,  but 
in  a  guarded  and  cautious  manner.  His  sermon  was 
of  an  expository  and  practical  character,  intended 
to  accommodate  his  inability  to  put  forth  strong 
and  continuous  effort.  In  the  stand,  behind  the 
preacher,  was  no  common  array  of  talent  —  the 
present  Bishop  Waugh  was  in  charge  of  the  circuit, 
and  Mr.  Snethen  was  one  of  the  auditors.  Of  the 
eloquence  of  the  latter,  we  have  already  spoken. 
It  WiiS  said  that  a  camp  meeting  sermon  of  his,  in 
his  palmy  days,  so  effectually  bewildered  the  brain 
of  the  late  Bishop  George,  that  he  acted  like  one 
bereft  of  reason  —  attempting,  among  other  strange 
acts,  to  climb  a  tree  which  stood  on  the  camp 
ground.  But  this  great  master  was  now  sitting  at 
the  feet  of  a  mere  youth,  to  receive,  with  a  child-like 
docility,  instructions  or  impressions  of  good.  In 
^''.  course  oi'  liis  sermon,  Mr.  Bascom  had  occasion 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  158 

to  Speak  of  the  devices  of  Satan,  and  it  must  be 
confessed  that  some  features  of  the  protean  portrait 
were  sufficiently  startling.  Now  the  arch  fiend  was 
detected  as  the  wily  serpent  hidden  in  the  flowery 
grass,  ready  to  strike  the  deadly  fang  into  the  foot, 
and  send  the  killing  poison  through  the  veins  of 
the  unsuspecting  pilgrim ;  now  he  appeared  an 
angel  of  light,  offering  his  tempting  suggestions 
under  the  guise  of  messages  of  mercy  fresh  from 
the  throne  of  Heavenly  Goodness ;  or,  armed  with 
power,  he  was  seen  coming  up  in  his  wrath,  the 
furious  Lybian  lion,  whose  terrible  roar  made  the 
hills  to  tremble,  spreading  death  and  desolation  in 
his  bloody  march.  As  he  was  finishing  his  startling 
picture,  Mr.  Snethen,  apparently  unconscious  of 
the  place  and  circumstances  around  him,  turned 
to  the  other  preachers  by  his  side,  and  audibly 
exclaimed,  "Brethren,  he  frightens  me;  he  frightens 
me !  I  never  was  afraid  of  the  devil  before  in  all 
my  life  !  "  And  as  he  spake,  tears  rolled  down  his 
venerable  f  ice.  Such  was  the  effect  of  this  dis- 
cou'^se  on  the  congregation,  that  scores  on  scores 
WTre  cut  to  the  heart,  and  cried  for  mercy.  Indeed 
such  was  the  depth  of  this  work  on  the  hearts  of 
the  people,  that  there  was  found  no  more  place  for 
preaching  until  the  next  day.  All  the  remainder 
of  the  day,  and  through  the  entire  night  the 
encampment  was  vocal  with  the  groans  and  sobs  of 
penitents,  and  the  rejoicings  of  new  born  converts. 


154  LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Bascom  was  feverish, 
and  evidently  unfit  for  farther  exertion,  yet  such 
was  the  universal  desire  to  hear  him  again,  that 
he  yielded  to  it,  contrary  to  the  convictions  of  his 
own  judgment,  and  against  the  earnest  remon- 
strance of  his  friend — who  readily  enough  foresaw 
the  consequences.  His  subject  was  one  which 
called  into  full  action  all  his  powers  of  mind  and 
body,  and  the  effect  on  the  audience  was  tremen- 
dous. He  preached  until  his  strength  was  entirely 
gone,  and  then  sank  down  utterly  powerless.  He 
was  assisted  to  bed,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  from  the 
time  of  leaving  the  stand  he  was  wildly  delirious 
with  a  raging  fever,  and  making  incoherent  efforts 
to  finish  his  sermon.'*'  Good  physicians  and  care- 
ful nursing,  however,  soon  overcame  the  disease,  and 
in  two  days  he  was  able  to  return  to  Baltimore. 

*  The  following  account  of  his  preaching  at  the  last  named  meeting, 
and  of  his  talents,  is  from  the  pen  of  the  present  Bishop  Waugh : 

"iMr.  Bascom  preached  at  four  o'clock,  on  the  subject  of  practical 
Christianity.  In  our  judgment  it  was  one  of  the  most  masterly  dis- 
courses we  ever  listened  to.  It  was  heard  with  great  interest.  Many 
were  convinced  that  they  were  '  wanting '  by  being  thus  weighed  in 
the  '  balance  of  the  sanctuary.'  On  Tuesday  Mr.  Bascom  again 
preached.  His  subject  was,  the  evidences  of  the  Christian  religion. 
Here,  he,  if  possible,  exceeded  his  discourse  on  Monday.  It  is  not 
our  purpose  to  eulogize  the  preachers  in  this  communication,  yet 
a  man  so  remarkable  for  intellectual  greatness,  presents  such  an 
occasion  to  contemplate  the  dignity  of  our  species,  that  we  beg 
indulgence  while  we  bring  him  more  fully  before  those  who  had  not 
the  happiness  to  see  and  hear  him.  Mr.  Bascom  is  about  twenty 
eight  years  of  age.  He  has  been  a  Methodist  itinerant  minister  for 
nearly  twelve  years.  His  enunciation  is  very  distinct,  and  his  delivery 
uncommonly  rapid.  His  conceptions  are  strong  and  forcible.  'Jfcie 
most  choice  language  conveys  the  finest  sentiment^  to  his  delighted 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

On  his  return  to  Baltimore  he  found  a  messengei 
from  the  peninsula,  or  eastern  shore  of  Maryland, 
awaiting  his  return,  to  take  him  over  the  Chesa- 
peake bay  to  a  camp-meeting  then  in  progress. 
After  the  meeting  h;id  been  continued  several 
days,  it  was  resolved  to  continue  it  still  a  week 
longer,  in  hope  of  getting  Mr.  Bascom  to  it  before 
the  close.  He  could  not  resist  this  strong  appeal, 
and  the  next  day  crossed  the  bay,  and  labored 
with  his  usual  zeal  and  success  among  the  people 
of  the  peninsula  for  some  time. 

The  eastern  shore  of  Maryland  then,  as  now, 
belonged  to  the  Philadelphia  conference,  and,  of 
course,  this  visit  introduced  him  to  the  society  and 
acquaintance  of  several  preachers  of  that  confer- 
ence. Some  of  these  were  from  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  and  they  became  very  desirous  that 
Mr.  Bascom  should  visit  their  city,  and  one  of 

audience.  He  has  a  bold  enterprising  mind,  of  ample  powers  to 
bear  him  out  in  all  his  undertakings.  He  is  an  original.  He  is  like 
no  man  that  we  have  ever  heard.  Perhaps  his  style  bears  a  nearer 
resemblance  to  that  of  the  celebrated  Chalmers,  than  any  other. 
We  do  not  pretend  to  have  done  ample  justice  to  this  great  man,  in 
the  feeble  attempt  we  have  made  to  exhibit  him  to  the  mind  of  the 
reader.  Permit  us  then  to  add,  that  we  have  heard  many  great 
men,  but  he  exceeds  them  all " 


156        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

th('m  came  over  to  Baltimore  with  him  to  carry 
his  desire  into  effect,  if  possible.  For  the  time 
being  the  messenger  failed  of  his  object,  but  in  a 
short  time  another  came,  who  was  more  persever- 
ing and  importunate.  Mr.  Bascom,  believing  that 
he  was  the  most  unsuccessful  man  of  a  thousand 
to  introduce  himself  into  a  strange  community, 
refused  to  go  unless  arrangements  should  be 
made  which  would  enable  his  friend  to  accompany 
him.  The  people  of  Baltimore,  however,  soon 
provided  for  such  an  arrangement,  and  it  was 
accordingly  made. 

It  was  now  September,  1824,  and  as  the  Marquis 
de  La  Fayette,  the  early  and  firm  friend  of  Amer- 
ican independence,  had  arrived  on  our  shores,  and 
was  in  a  short  time  to  be  received  in  the  city  of 
Baltimore,  the  journey  was  delayed  a  few  days,  for 
the  purpose  of  witnessing  that  pageant  of  gratitude. 
That  reception  was  grand  beyond  description. 
—  Thousands  of  volunteers,  elegantly  equipped, 
cavalry  caparisoned  in  the  most  splendid  manner, 
triumphal  arches,  a  universal  and  magnificent  illu- 
mination, and  every  thing  that  gratitude  or  pride 
could  suggest,  or  wealth  could  procure,  to  render 
the  welcome  of  the  nation's  guest  brilliant  and 
imposing,  was  pressed  into  the  service  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mr.  Bascom  was  one  of  a  select  few  invited 
to  the  honor  of  a  private  interview  with  the  great 
ualleague  of  Washington,  on  the  evening  of  that  day. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  157 

On  the  eveiiiiig  of  ihe  next  day,  Mr.  Biscom, 
with  his  traveling  companion,  starred  for  Philadel- 
phia. The  trip  was  expeditiously  performed  for 
that  time,  but  there  were  some  things  about  it 
entirely  new  to  the  western  orator,  and  which  would, 
just  now,  be  equally  novel  to  those  who  make  the 
same  journey  by  the  present  improved  mode  of 
conveyance. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  a  large  crowd  assembled 
on  the  steamboat,  and  were  soon  under  full  headway 
for  the  destined  port.  As  there  were  many  more 
passengers  than  berths,  there  were  put  inLo  a  hah 
as  many  numbers  and  blanks  together  iis  there  were 
passengers.  On  paying  his  passage-money,  the 
passenger  thrust  his  hand  into  the  hat  jind  drew 
out  a  ticket ;  if  he  drew  a  number,  he  had  the 
privilege  of  occupying  the  berth  to  which  it  belonged 
until  about  midnight  —  the  usual  time  of  debarka- 
tion ;  if  a  blank,  he  had  the  privilege  of  sitting  up 
for  the  same  period.  This  point  of  debarkation 
was  Frenchtown,  a  village  at  the  head  of  navigation 
on  Elk  river,  chiefly  famous  for  the  uncivilized 
warfare  waged  on  the  unoffending  denizens,  by 
Admiral  Cockburn,  of  the  British  navy,  during  the 
war  of  1812.  At  this  place  the  boat  landed  at 
twelve  o'clock,  on  a  pitchy  dark  night.  The  next 
thing  to  be  thought  of,  was  the  means  of  getting 
from  this  place  across  the  state  of  Delaware,  a 
distance   of  sixteen  miles,  to   Newcastle,  on  the 


158        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

Delaware  river,  where  another  boat  was  to  be  taken 
for  Philadelphia.     This  portage  had  to  be  passed 
in  coaches  of  such  capacity  as  to  carry  nine  passen- 
gers each.     For  convenience  and  order,  the  names 
of  nine  passengers  were  placed  on  a  card  which 
bore  on  it  number  07ie,  indicating  Ihat  these  nine 
passengers  were  to  depend  on  coach  No.  1,  to  convey 
their  persons  and  their  luggage  to  the  next  boat. 
And  so  on  until  all  the  passengers  were  provided  for. 
Thus  provided,  the  passengers  were  landed  in  the 
dark;    and  then  followed  a  scene  of  Babel-like 
confusion,  that  beggars  description      One  or  two 
persons  stepped  off  the  pier  into  the  river,  but 
were    fortunately  rescued ;    the    passengers    soon 
began  to  call  out  lustily  for  their  several  numbers, 
and  while,  perhaps,  fifty  voices  at  once  called  out 
all    the    numbers    from  one  to  fourteen,  all  the 
coachmen  at  once  loudly  responded  "  Here,"  and 
80  left  the  parties  precisely  as  much  in  uncertainty 
as  they  were  before.     After  a  long  time,  matters 
were  brought  to  an  adjustment,  and  the  cavalcade 
advanced  in  the   order  of  their  numbers,  at  the 
pace  of  a  heavily  laden  road  team.     In  this  way 
they  proceeded,  until  they  reached  the   half-way 
house.     Here  the   horses  were  watered,  and  the 
drivers  liberally  ivhiskeyed.     The  '  spur  in  the  head ' 
soon  began  to  operate,  and  matters  underwent  a 
sudden  change.     Whips  began  to  snap,  horses  to 
prance,  and  coaches   to   move  with  life.     No.  2 


LIFE  OV    BISHOP    BASCOM.  159 

passed  No.  1  under  the  lash,  and  Nos.  3  and  4 
engaged  in  a  sharp  contest,  until  finally  the  horses 
of  No.  4,  breaking  into  a  by-road,  carried  driver  and 
passengers  into  an  open  field,  and  upset  the  coach 
injuring  several  passengers.  After  this  manner 
the  residue  of  the  way  was  passed  over. 

It  must  be  recollected,  that  some  months  before 
this  time  the  justly  celebrated  Mr.  Summerfield 
had  returned  from  Europe,  and  was  occupying  a 
large  space  in  the  public  mind.  No  man,  probably^ 
until  Mr.  Bascom  commenced  his  career  in  Balti- 
more, had  ever  commanded  such  audiences,  or 
received  so  much  attention  in  that  city,  as  Mr. 
Summerfield.  The  latter  had,  for  some  months, 
been  spending  his  time  and  labors  chiefly  in  Phila- 
delphia, and,  as  we  have  seen,  during  the  same 
period,  Mr.  Bascom  had  spent  his  time  chiefly  about 
Baltimore.  Now  it  happened,  almost  as  matter  of 
course,  that  the  public  mind  got  up  a  sort  of  rivalry 
between  these  two  great  men,  very  much  against 
their  wishes.  It  was  very  common  to  hear  a  Balti- 
morean  say  that  Bascom  was  the  greater  preacher, 
and  as  common  to  hear  a  Philadelphian  give  the 
like  pre-eminence  to  Summerfield.  This  was. 
indeed,  in  Mr.  Bascom's  mind,  a  serious  objection 
to  visiting  Philadelphia.  He  was  exceedingly 
anxious  to  hear  a  preacher  of  such  wonderful 
celebrity  as  young  Summerfield,  and  Summerfield 
was  equally  anxious  to  hear  a  young  preacher  from 


IGO  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

the  western  forests,  whose  fame  had  spread  all  over 
the  land ;  and  yet,  the  idea  of  being  placed  before 
the  public  in  the  attitude  of  rival  competitors  for 
popular  applause,  was  utterly  revolting  to  the 
feelings  of  both ;  for  they  felt  conscious  of  being 
governed  by  higher  and  holier  motives,  and  that 
they  were  contending  for  a  nobler  prize  than  the 
fickle  meed  of  human  applause. 

Mr.  Summerfield  heard  that  Mr.  Bascom  was 
intending  to  visit  Philadelphia,  at  the  same  time 
he  had  an  agreement  to  visit  the  interior  of 
Pennsylvania,  but  so  desirous  was  he  to  hear  the 
western  orator,  that  he  look  from  his  friends  a 
promise  to  give  him  the  earliest  possible  informa- 
tion of  Mr.  Bascom's  arrival.  Before  reaching 
Philadelphia,  so  fearful  was  Mr.  Bascom  of  being 
left  alone  among  strangers,  that  he  insisted  on  an 
agreement  with  his  traveling  companion,  that  the 
latter  should  not  consent  to  accept  any  appoint- 
ment that  might  prevent  him  from  being  present 
whenever  Bascom  hid  'o  preach;  but  this  league 
was  soon  dissolved  by  the  arrangements  of  the 
stationed  preachers  of  the  city.  His  first  efforts 
ni  the  city  made  a  fine  impression,  though,  as  the 
writer  had  not  the  privilege  of  hearing  him,  and 
had  to  depend  on  the  reports  of  those  who  had 
never  heard  him  before,  he  could  not  well  deter- 
mine how  he  would  compare  with  himself 

A  few  days  after  reaching  the  city,  Mr.  Sum- 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  161 

merfield  arrived,  and  the  writer  had  the  pleasure 
of  being  present  at  the  first  interview  between 
these  two  intellectual  princes.  On  the  following 
S:ibbath  morning,  Mr.  Bascom  preached  at  the 
Ebenezer  church,  an  eloquent  and  effective  ser- 
mon, and  Mr.  Summer  field  was  one  of  his  auditors. 
At  the  dinner  table  a  lady  said  to  Mr.  Summer- 
field,  "  We  have  been  hearing  the  western  orator 
this  morning;  this  afternoon  we  shall  have  the 
pleasure  of  hearing  the  young  English  orator  "  — 
alluding  to  himself  "  My  dear  madam,"  said  he, 
"it  will  be  but  too  much  like  turning  from  the 
rich  notes  of  the  German  flute  to  hear  the  music 
of  a  penny- whistle." 

The  same  afternoon  Mr.  Summerfield  preached 
at  the  Union  church, —  then  commonly  called  the 
Academy,  and  Mr.  Bascom  was  his  hearer  for  the 
first  time.  His  text  was  —  "  If  we  confess  our  sins, 
he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,"  &c. 
His  sermon  was  delivered  in  his  own  peculiar 
gentle  winning  style ;  and  when  he  came  to  speak 
of  the  faithfulness  and  justice  of  God,  —  the  very 
attributes  which  might  cause  the  sinner  to  tremble 
with  terror,  —  as  being  enlisted  on  the  side  of  the 
contrite,  and  pledged  to  the  salvation  of  the 
penitent,  oh,  how  richly,  how  sv/eetly  he  unfolded 
the  benefits  of  redemption  by  Christ  Jesus.  All 
weie  aflFected  and  delighted,  and  few  or  none  more 

vSO  than  Bascom. 
11 


i(j!i  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

We  give  a  notice  of  the  services  of  this  day, 
which  appeared  in  one  of  the  principal  city  papers 
on  the  day  following : 

"  Among  the  strangers  at  present  on  a  visit  to 
our  city,  is  Rev.  Mr.  Basconij  chaplain  to  the 
United  States  House  of  Representatives  during 
its  late  session,  a  gentleman  who  disputes  the 
palm  of  oratory  in  the  Methodist  Church  with 
Mr.  Summerfield,  —  if  it  be  lawful  to  use  such 
language  in  reference  to  men  whose  only  rivalry 
is  who  shall  do  the  most  good.  In  a  sermon 
delivered  on  Thursday  evening,  Mr.  Bascom  did 
not  equal  the  expectations  of  the  public ;  but  in  a 
sermon  delivered  yesterday  morning  in  the  church 
in  Southwark,  he  surpassed  them.  All  who  heard 
him,  pronounced  his  discourse  truly  suhlime. 

"  In  the  afternoon  Mr.  Summerfield  preached  to 
a  very  crowded  congregation,  of  the  first  respecta- 
bility, in  the  church  on  Fourth  street  above 
Market.  Hundreds  were  unable  to  obtain  ad- 
mittance, and  Mr.  Summerfield  was,  as  usual, 
obliged  to  enter  through  a  back  window.  From 
a  gentleman  who  has  heard  him  frequently,  we 
learn  that  he  yesterday  afternoon  delivered  one  of 
his  plain,  pr.iclical  discourses.  The  most  fastidious 
critic  could  find  no  f  lult  wi:h  it.  But  it  did  not 
abound  in  those  flights  of  oratory  with  which  he 
sometimes  delights  and  astonishes  his  auditors." 

The  Question  has  often  been  put,  which  of  these 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  168 

two  mental  giants  was  the  greater  man,  orator  and 
preacher  ?  This  question  is  not  easily  answered ; 
for  their  characteristic  points  were  so  very  differ- 
ent, so  opposite,  that  it  is  impossible  to  institute  a 
successful  comparison.  All  was  contrast,  yet  each 
excelled  the  other  immeasurably  in  his  own  peculiar 
orbit.  The  one  was  the  tornado,  the  other  the 
soft  zephyr :  the  one  was  the  mountain  torrent, 
leaping  from  cliff  to  cliff,  and  plunging  from  rock 
to  chasm  :  the  other,  the  gently  murmuring  rill, 
flowing  musically  on  its  pebbly  channel  amidst 
verdant  herbage  and  fragrant  flowers :  the  one 
was  the  storm  cloud,  awing  the  beholder  by  its 
sublimity;  the  other,  the  sunlit  cloud  of  evening, 
attracting  by  its  beauty  and  loveliness. 

The  next  day  a  number  of  ministers  were 
invited  to  dine  together  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Cook. 
Among  the  guests  on  that  occasion  were  E-ev. 
Ezekiel  Cooper,  the  veteran  pioneer,  Rev.  L. 
McCombs,  Rev.  James  Smith,  B.,  Rev.  John 
Summerfield,  and  Rev.  H.  B.  Bascom.  Where 
are  they  now?  Guests  and  entertainer  all,  all 
gone  to  the  spirit-land  to  enjoy  their  everlasting 
reward. 

At  this  social  meeting  an  unpleasant  incident 
occurred.  Mr.  Summerfield  was  speaking  of  long 
sermons,  and,  without  considering  the  possible 
application  of  the  remark,  observed  that  Dr. 
Clarke  was  said  to  have   exDressed  the  opinion 


164        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM, 

that  no  man  could  preach  good  sense  for  more 
than  an  hour  at  one  time.  His  manner  might 
seem  to  give  sanction  to  the  sentiment,  and  was 
so  understood  by  some  of  the  party;  and  as 
Bascom  and  one  or  two  other  ministers  present 
had  preached  more  than  an  hour  on  the  day 
before,  the  remark  was  felt  and  applied  in  a  painful 
and  personal  manner.  Bascom  and  Smith  soon 
afterwards  excused  themselves,  and  withdrew  from 
the  company  with  feelings  not  the  most  pleasant. 
At  a  subsequent  period,  however,  a  full  explana- 
tion took  place,  and  Bascom  and  Summerfield 
were  ardent  friends  ever  after  until  the  death  of 
the  latter. 

Before  Bascom  had  been  two  weeks  in  Phila- 
delphia, a  messenger  was  sent  up  from  the  eastern 
shore  of  Maryland,  with  directions  not  to  return 
until  he  should  bring  Mr.  Bascom  down  with  him. 
lie  succeeded  in  his  object;  Mr.  Bascom  again 
visited  the  peninsula,  and  after  remaining  until 
November,  he  returned  to  Baltimore. 

Letters,  messages,  and  messengers  poured  in 
on  him  from  all  directions,  earnestly  soliciting  him 
to  visit  and  preach  at  various  points ;  and  so  far 
as  his  health  would  permit,  he  complied  with 
those  pressing  invitations.  This  state  of  incessant 
labor  and  excitement  had  the  effect  greatly  to 
impair  his  physical  powers;  still,  no  sooner  did 
he  recover  sufficiently  from   one  attack,  than  he 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  165 

again  took  the  field,  with  almost  a  certainty  of 
being  prostrated  by  the  effort.  In  this  manner 
he  spent  the  winter  of  1824-  25 ;  but  we  cannot 
follow  him  in  all  his  labors  and  travels. 

Mr.  Bascom,  as  has  been  noticed,  witnessed  the 
grand  entree  of  Lafayette  at  Baltimore  in  Septem- 
ber, and  was  one  of  the  committee  of  reception , 
that  distinguished  guest  was  now  about  to  be 
received  at  Annapolis  —  the  civil  metropolis  of 
the  state  of  Maryland  —  and  Bascom  was  invited 
to  be  present,  and  take  part  in  the  ceremonies. 
Several  circumstances  tended  to  invest  the  event 
with  peculiar  interest.  The  reception  of  the  brave 
old  Marquis  by  the  military  and  the  populace,  by 
the  House  of  Representatives,  and  by  the  governor 
and  council  of  state,  was  imposing  and  interesting, 
but  his  reception  in  the  senate  chamber  was 
affecting,  and  to  no  one  more  so  than  the  venerable 
Marquis  himself.  The  Congress  of  the  United 
States  met  at  that  place  in  1783,  and  on  the 
23d  of  December  of  that  year  General  Washington 
there  resigned  his  commission  as  commander  in 
chief  of  the  American  army.  This  flict  did  not 
escape  the  memory  of  Lafayette,  who  was  sensibly 
affected  by  the  recollection ;  and  the  more  so, 
as  it  was  now  within  four  days  of  the  same  time  in 
December,  at  which  time  that  event  occurred.  "1 
am  happy,"  said  he  in  substance,  "  in  having  the 
privilege  of  meeting  you,  my  friends,  in  this  sacred 


166  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

place,  for  it  was  in  this  chamber  that  my  great 
father-in-arms  resigned  his  sword  to  the  American 
Congress,  after  having  achieved  a  nation's  redemp- 
tion— thereby  rendering  this  place  sacred  through 
all  time  while  one  brick  of  this  venerable  edifice 
shall  continue  to  lie  upon  another.  And  now, 
after  a  lapse  of  forty-one  years,  I  am  permitted  to 
return  here  and  witness  the  wonderful  results  of 
his  patriotic  labors." 

On  the  following  day,  Lafayette  reviewed  the 
troops  assembled  on  the  occasion.  For  this  pur- 
pose, an  elegantly  decorated  pavilion  was  erected 
on  a  common,  lying  between  the  old  college  and 
a  cove  of  the  bay,  or,  as  it  is  improperly  called, 
river,  which  common  had  formed  the  military 
encampment  of  a  part  of  the  French  soldiers 
whom  Lafayette  had  brought  over  to  aid  in  our 
struggle  for  independence;  and  here  was  the 
burying-ground,  beneath  whose  mould  reposed  the 
dust  of  many  a  gallant  Frenchman,  who,  at  the 
call  of  Lafiyette,  had  come  to  peril  and  lose 
life  in  the  cause  of  American  liberty.  This 
burial  place  now  lay  out  an  open  common,  and 
over  the  undistinguishable  graves  of  those  brave- 
hearted  Frenchmen,  now  tramped  thousands  of 
gayly  equipped  soldiers,  assembled,  not  for  fierce 
conflict,  but  for  military  display,  before  him  who 
had  lead  the  sleeping  soldiers  beneath  their  feet 
to  our  shores. 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.       167 

During  the  review,  a  little  incident  occurred, 
which  began  in  alarm  but  ended  in  mirth.  As 
an  officer  was  riding  near  the  pavilion,  mounted 
on  a  high  mettled  and  fiery  horse,  the  wind,  which 
was  very  high,  detached  from  the  pavilion  a  piece 
of  red  festooning,  some  five  or  six  yards  in  length, 
and  carried  it  through  the  air  until  it  came  in 
contact  with  the  flowing  tail  of  the  fiery  steed, 
around  which  it  wrapped  itself  The  horse, 
frightened  by  this  new  appendage,  plunged  away 
fearfully,  and  run  at  his  utmost  speed,  directly 
towards  the  cove  near  by,  the  red  streamer  flying 
at  full  length  behind  in  the  air.  At  length,  it 
became  detached ;  and  the  moment  it  was  seen 
that  danger  was  over,  the  collected  thousands 
broke  into  one  grand  burst  of  laughter  at  the 
ludicrous  exhibition,  and  the  old  Marquis  shook 
his  very  sides  with  mirthful  excitement. 

The  day  following  was  the  Sabbath.  Mr. 
Bascom  was  called  on  to  preach.  The  Marquis 
and  suit,  with  a  multitude  of  the  magnates  of  the 
day,  were  in  attendance.  Regarding  this  as  a 
fit  occasion  for  asserting  the  high  claims  of 
Christianity  on  all,  as  well  the  great  as  the  lowly, 
he  read  for  his  text,  "  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation."  His  manner  was  as  bold  and  lofty  as 
the  noble  declaration  which  formed  his  theme. 
His  arguments  in  defence  of  Christ's  religion  were 


168  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

clear,  convincing,  and  riveted  firmly  on  the  under- 
standing of  the  hearer ;  his  rebukes  of  infidelity 
just,  severe,  withering ;  his  illustration  of  the 
saving  power  of  the  gospel,  heart-stirring,  grand, 
and  overpowering.  The  stout  hearted,  the  veteran 
sinner,  and  men  in  high  places,  who  were  not  wont 
to  make  concessions  to  the  claims  of  the  gospel, 
were  subdued  and  melted  to  penitence  by  his 
burning  words. 

The  following  notice  of  this  sermon  we  copy 
from  a  newspaper: 

"  The  subject  selected  b}^  Mr.  B.  is  a  beautifu) 
one.  The  declaration  of  the  Apostle  of  the 
Gentiles  —  'For  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel 
of  Christ'  —  has  afforded  a  theme  for  hundreds 
of  pulpit  orators  before  him.  We  have  heard 
sundry  divines  deduce  from  these  words  the 
common  Christian  duty  of  acknowledging  the 
Christian  religion  with  boldness,  and  of  giving  to 
it,  the  advocacy  of  their  precept  and  example, 
and  we  have  often  heard,  under  authority  of  the 
same  words,  ample  denunciations  of  those  who 
are  ashamed  of  the  humble  and  self-denying 
doctrines  inculcated  by  the  Founder  of  thai 
religion.  All  this  is  very  necessary,  by  way  of 
warning  to  unbelievers,  and  of  moment  to  the 
doubting  Christian.  But  Mr.  B.  did  not  content 
himself  with  these  matters.  He  treated  the 
Christian  religion  as  a  divine  institution,  and  with 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  169 

the  bold  hand  of  a  master,  demonstrated  its 
truths  from  its  history  and  its  intrinsic  philoso- 
phy.    Verily,  he  did  this  well. 

"  In  contrasting  the  Christian  religion  with 
other  religions  of  the  world,  he  represented  them 
as  being  planted  by  the  hand  of  power  and  con- 
nected with  the  fortunes  of  dynasties,  and,  of 
course,  carrying  upon  their  creeds  unphilosophical 
dogmas,*  having  their  origin  in  the  imaginations, 
or  the  interests  of  their  founders,  the  absurdities 
of  which  must  produce  skepticism  in  the  enlight- 
ened mind,  and  can  only  be  successfully  addressed 
to  the  credulity  of  the  ignorant.  Hence  he 
inferred,  that  the  thrones  and  the  priesthoods  of 
the  world  have  conspired  to  keep  man  ignorant, 
by  repressing  the  curiosity  which  would  lead  him 
to  reasoning,  the  result  of  which  would  be  his 
mental  and  political  emancipation.  The  Christian 
religion,  he  said,  was  a  seedling,  planted  in  an 
uncongenial  soil.  As  it  grew,  the  chilling  storms 
and  winds  of  the  north,  the  burning  sun  and 
withering  siroccos  of  the  south,  had  conspired  to 
check  its  growth.  The  beasts  of  the  forest  cropped 
its  foliage,  and  the  wild  boar  whetted  his  tusks 
upon  its  trunk.  Nevertheless,  by  virtue  of  its 
strength  and  self-reproducing  power,  its  roots  had 
sunk  deep  in  the  earth,  and  its  branches  towered 
aloft,  ^nd  spread  far  and  wide. 

"In  demoufe  ratino;  the  truth  of  the   Christian 


170  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

religion  from  the  adaptation  of  its  histcry,  and 
that  of  its  Master  to  the  sympathies,  passions, 
and  frailties  of  human  nature,  he  was  particularly 
successful.  In  this,  he  founded  the  philosophy  of 
the  '  Gospel  of  Christ.'  The  writer  of  this  article 
never  before  heard  this  powerful  argument  wielded 
as  its  importance  deserves  by  a  pulpit  orator, 
except  once.  Veiily,  the  writer  of  this  article 
would  ride  (yes,  or  walk,  either)  many  iniles  to 
hear  Mr.  Bascom  again  draw  around  his  argument 
the  illustrative  energy  which  the  poetry  of  his 
subject  aflbrds.  This  is  his  forte.  He  not  only 
convinces,  but  he  captivates.  In  this  he  differs 
from  most  of  those  who  occupy  the  sacred  desk. 
They  would,  generally,  seem  studiously  to  avoid 
the  ideality  of  the  wonderful  subject,  which  is  the 
theme  of  their  addresses.  They  approach  its 
awful  and  beautiful  sublimities — ideas  struggle  foj 
utterance,  and  words  tremble  upon  theii'  lips, 
which,  if  uttered,  would  commend  religion  to 
reason  and  taste  —  they  falter,  hesitate,  and  grope 
their  way  back  again  within  the  measured  land- 
marks of  a  creed." 

The  sermon  drew  from  the  Marquis,  as  well  as 
from  many  other  persons,  high  commendation. 

During  this  winter  Mr.  Bascom  made  a  preaching 
tour  through  a  portion  of  Pennsylvania,  visiting 
York,  Gettysburg,  Chambersburgh,  Carlisle,  Har- 
risburg,  and  other  places,  and   preaching   at   all 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  171 

While  on  this  tour  the  following  notice  of  his 
pulpit  labors  appeared  in  a  Pennsylvania  paper  : — 

"He  commenced  preaching  at  eleven  o'clock^ 
and  did  not  conclude  till  fifteen  minutes  after  one. 
During  all  this  time,  the  utmost  silence  prevailed ; 
for  it  was  a  suitable  and  pathetic  sermon,  delivered 
in  the  most  feeling  and  touching  manner,  to  pre- 
pare the  minds  of  the  congregation  for  the  solemn 
act  which  they  were  just  going  to  perform  —  the 
partaking  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  He  took  his  text 
from  the  last  chapter  of  St.  Luke,  forty-sixth  and 
forty-seventh  verses;  and,  throughout  the  whole 
discussion,  he  evinced  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
sacred  scriptures;  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
the  classics;  a  familiarity  with  the  arts  and 
sciences ;  with  law  and  government ;  and  with 
natural  and  moral  philosophy. 

"  The  laws  of  the  Great  Ruler  of  the  universe, 
and  the  laws  of  human  invention  belonging  to  the 
different  nations,  which  he  adverted  to  with  so  much 
f  icility  as  evidence  to  prove  the  position  he  had 
taken,  of  the  'vicarious  office  of  Christ,'*  as  appli- 
cable and  necessary  to  man's  salvation  here,  and 
glory  hereafter,  were  the  strongest  arguments  on 
this  point  that  we  have  ever  heard,  adduced :  the?/ 
prove,  moreover,  that  he  is  an  able  and  zealous 
champion  of  the  gospel  ministry. 

In  the  evening  the  church  was  still  more  crowded 
than  it  was  during  the  day.    He  preached  from  St. 


172  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

Matthew's  gospel,  eleventh  chapter,  and  part  of 
the  nineteenth  verse.  An  equal  display  of  elo- 
quence, pathos,  and  volubility  were  exhibited,  as 
hi  the  morning;  although,  previous  to  his  com- 
mencing, he  apologized  to  his  hearers  for  the  want 
of  strength,  in  consequence  of  the  numerous  calls 
he  was  obliged  (from  courtesy)  to  accept  and  fulfill. 
"  Notwithstanding  all  the  advantages  possessed 
by  Mr.  Bascom,  calculated  to  attract  the  vulgar, 
to  fascinate  the  well  disposed,  to  entertain  the 
scholar,  to  awaken  the  wicked,  and  to  gladden  the 
heart  of  the  Christian;  yet  there  is  something 
wanting  to  make  him  a  good  orator,  according  to 
the  doctrines  and  lectures  of  Blair  and  others. 
He  wants  method;  for,  sometimes,  we  observe  too 
much  formality,  and  at  others  too  much  fire.  We 
frequently  lose  the  sense  and  meaning  of  his  argu- 
ments, in  consequence  of  the  fieetness  of  his  ideas, 
which  rush  upon  him  with  impetuosity.  But  this 
defect  can  be  obviated  through  time,  and  no  doubt 
will  be  obviated ;  for  it  is  a  defect  of  such  magni- 
tude, and  it  detracts  so  much  from  the  character 
of  an  accomplished  orator,  that  every  art  sh(mld 
be  employed  to  cure  it.  It  is  more  than  probable, 
however,  that  his  zeal,  not  his  want  of  judgment, 
leads  him  into  this  error.  Upon  the  whole,  he  is 
a  powerful  preacher,  a  highly  gifced  man,  and 
calculated  to  do  much  good.  That  he  may  con- 
tinue to  benefit  the  people  by  his  exertions,  and 


LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  173 

grow  in  knowledge  and  truth,  is  the  sincere  wish 
of  the  writer." 

While  in  Harrisburg  —  the  seat  of  the  state 
government — the  F^5^Yor  published  the  following 
article : 

"Rev.  Mr.  Bascom.  —  This  extraordinary  orator 
has  paid  us  a  visit,  and  preached  three  times  to 
crowded  houses.  The  following  just  tribute  we 
cheerfully  copy  from  the  Democratic  Press.  The 
writer  says:  'I  have  no  disposition  to  dishonor 
the  pulpit,  by  lavishing  adulation  upon  its  friends 
and  advocates.  The  pulpit  is  sacred  —  it  is  the 
store-house  from  which  is  broken  the  bread  of 
life,  and  with  humility  and  great  deference  to 
its  corner  stone,  I  would  submit  a  few  remarks 
upon  one  of  its  fdthful  stewards  —  I  mean  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Bascom.  If  we  may  judge  from  this 
man's  powers  of  mind,  from  his  devotion  to  the 
cause  of  his  Master,  and  from  his  captivating 
manner,  he  gladly  dispenses  the  word  of  truth; 
we  think  him  worthy  of  the  high  vocation  to  which 
he  professes  to  have  been  called.  Such  are  the 
prodigious  stores  of  intellectual  wealth  with  which 
he  is  endowed,  that  he  enriches  every  part  of  his 
subject,  and  upon  dry  and  barren  topics,  he 
engrafts  variety  and  rich  abundance.  Fired  by 
the  heroism  of  the  Christian  warfare,  he  draws  and 
fastens  the  careless  to  the  great  subject  of  the 
Bible ;    inflexibly  fixed  to   the    standard   of  the 


174  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

cross,  he  confirms  the  wavering  and  strengthens 
the  weak ;  and  to  complete  the  impression,  and  to 
give  the  effect  to  his  labor,  he  sallies  in  whirlwinds 
of  eloquence,  and  quivers  in  terrible  lustre  along 
the  historic  page  of  the  Christian  church. 

"The  whole  range  of  theology,  (the  hill  of 
Calvary  excepted,)  affords  nothing  more  sublime, 
more  awfully  grand,  than  the  view  taken  by  this 
man  on  Sunday  13th,  of  these  words,  ^  God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.'  This  discourse 
possessed  something  loftier  than  usual ;  connected 
with  this  sublime  subject,  it  seemed  to  stretch 
beyond  the  human  horizon;  it  was  a  seat  that 
translates  man  to  the  abode  of  angels." 

"On  Sunday  last,  he  delivered  a  lecture  upon 
the  second  Psalm,  which  was  one  of  the  most 
sublime,  bold  and  grand  views,  perhaps,  ever  taken 
of  this  interesting  part  of  scripture.  Betimes  his 
subject  appeared  to  be  exhausted;  then,  pausing 
for  a  moment,  as  if  waiting  to  see  whether  every 
one  was  not  convinced  of  what  he  had  been 
saying  • —  new  views,  and  new  imaginations  would 
flash  upon  his  mind,  when  he  would  soar  again, 
and  paint  in  the  most  glowing  colors  the  goodness 
of  God,  and  the  justness  of  his  severity." 

At  that  place,  the  fire  of  his  eloquence  appears 
to  have  awakened  the  spirit  of  poesy  in  the  breast 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  175 

of  a  lady.  She  was  asked  whether  she  preferred 
to  be  fanned  by  the  gentle  breezes  of  Summerfield's 
oratory^  or  tvafted  by  the  whirlwinds  of  Bascom's 
eloquence,  and  below  is  her  answer : 

I  love  the  sighing  of  the  gentle  breeze, 

As  soft  it  sweeps  along  the  greenwood  trees, 

I  love  to  feel  its  sweet  refreshing  power, 

Reanimate  my  languid  frame,  and  thus  new  life  restore. 

But,  oh  !   I  love  still  more  the  powerful  gale, 

That  scales  the  mountain  as  it  leaves  the  vale, 

Sublimely  rising  —  see  !  it  whirls,  it  flies  ! 

Before  it,  every  noxious  vapor  dies  : 

Its  purifying  influence  noAv  I  prove. 

And  breathe  on  earth  the  atmosphere  above ; 

Renewed,  invigorated,  still  I  rise, 

Leave  earth  behind,  and  soar  above  the  skies. 

S        .  N  . . 
ffa-^isburg,  Pa.^  February  9tk  1825. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

Mr.  Bascom  finishes  his  Pennsylvania  Tour  —  Returns  to  Baltimore, 
and  in  March  goes  to  his  station  in  Pittsburg  —  Is  cordially 
received  —  Complimentary  Newspaper  notice  —  Unitarian  Reply 
to  that  Notice  —  His  Habit  of  Visiting  the  Sick  —  An  Instance  of 
it  —  Notice  of  his  Preaching  in  Brownsville  —  At  the  Conference 
of  1825  appointed  Conference  Missionary — Object  of  that  Ap- 
pointment—  Incidents  showing  the  Strength  of  his  Friendship. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  Mr.  Bascom  went  to 
Washington  in  fulfillment  of  his  appointment  to 
Ihe  chaplaincy  to  Congress  in  December;  during 
his  sojourn  in  the  east  more  than  fourteen  months 
had  elapsed.  Of  course  the  term  of  service  for 
which  he  had  been  appointed  to  Steubenville  in 
September,  1823,  had  expired  some  six  months 
prior  to  the  date  of  which  we  now  speak,  and  he 
had  been  appointed  to  the  city  of  Pittsburg. 
After  finishing  his  Pennsylvania  tour,  he  returned 
to  Baltimore,  arranged  his  affairs,  and  early  in 
March,  1825,  took  his  departure  for  Pittsburg. 

The  people  among  whom  he  had  been  appointed 
to  labor,  had  been  anxiously  expecting  his  arrival 
for  several  months,  and  when  he  at  last  came,  they 
greeted  him  with  a  most  cordial  welcome. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Pittsburg,  an  article 
appeared  in  a  Presbyterian  periodical,  a  copy  of 
which  is  given  below : 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  177 

"  Mr.  Bascom.  —  The  writer  of  this  article  is 
adverse  from  panegyric,  except  when  the  cause  of 
religion,  or  some  great  public  interest,  is  obviously 
benefited,  and  improved  by  the  exertion  of  superior 
talents,  and  a  laudable  zeal  to  promulgate  and 
enforce  important  religious  truths.  The  Rev. 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  communication, 
is  recently  from  Baltimore.  In  that  city,  he  com- 
manded the  attention  and  admiration  of  Christians 
of  every  denomination,  and  frequently  drew  forih, 
through  the  medium  of  the  weekly  journals,  the 
unqualified  approbation  of  the  literati.  It  is  a  fact, 
that  the  labors  of  Mr.  Bascom  in  Baltimore,  have 
been  signally  blessed  as  a  means  of  pulling  down 
one  of  the  strong  holds  of  the  enemy.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  successful  exertion  of  the  energies 
of  his  mind,  and  the  irresistible  cogency  of  his 
arguments,  aimed  at  the  subversion  of  Socinian 
tenets,  the  Unitarian  church  in  that  city  has  been 
dissolved;  the  press  devoted  to  its  interests,  has 
been  discontinued,  and  the  minister  under  whose 
incumbency  the  church  was  established,  has  with- 
drawn from  his  charge.  All  this  is  unequivocally 
attributed  to  the  exertions  and  pious  energies  of 
the  Hev.  Henry  Bascom.  Since  he  commenced 
his  labors  in  this  city,  his  ministrations  have  been 
well  attended,  and,  I  believe,  well  received :  but 
his  discourse  last  Sabath  evening  crowned  all  his 

efforts   in   this    section  of  Christendom.     It  was 
12 


178        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM, 

preached  at  the  request  of  the  '  Female  Benevolent 
Society '  of  this  city ;  and  was  a  powerful,  and  an 
overwhelming  appeal  to  the  reason  and  feelings  of 
a  crowded  audience.  He  selected  for  his  subject 
the  propagation  of  the  gospel  among  the  heathen; 
and  I  am  bold  to  say,  the  cause  of  missions  was 
never  espoused  by  an  abler  advocate.  One  of  the 
subdivisons  of  his  discourse  was,  that  the  ^propa- 
gation of  the  gospel  among  the  heathen,  was  to  be 
effected  by  means,  not  by  miracles.^  On  this  part 
of  his  subject,  he  enforced  the  truth  he  was 
defending  v;ith  a  richness  of  illustration,  a  validity 
of  argument,  and,  at  the  same  time,  with  a  force  of 
eloquence,  that  simultaneously  convinced,  capti- 
vated, and  astonished.  The  writer  has  been 
informed,  that  Mr.  Bascom  intends,  at  no  distant 
period,  to  attack,  in  a  few  formal  discourses,  the 
Socinian  creed :  if  so,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  the 
Unitarians  of  the  vicinity  will  constitute  a  portion 
of  his  hearers." 

That  part  of  this  article  which  speaks  of  the  dis- 
comfiture of  Unitarianism  in  Baltimore  through  the 
instrumentality  of  Mr.  Bascom's  labors,  produced 
some  excitement  on  the  Unilarian  side,  and  an 
attempt  to  turn  the  point  of  this  humiliating  state- 
ment. To  be  sure  the  respondent  on  that  side 
admitted  the  facts  of  the  dispersion  of  the  church, 
the  discontinuance  of  their  periodical,  and  the 
withdrawal  of  the  pastor  from  the  congregation,  but 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  179 

denied  that  these  effects  were  dependent  on  the 
preaching  of  Mr.  Bascom  as  their  cause. 

His  term  of  service  in  Pittsburgh  was  short '^ 
half  the  year  had  passed  away  before  he  reached 
his  station,  and  nothing  is  recollected  of  special 
interest  in  his  ministry  previous  to  the  next  con- 
ference. I  take  this  occasion  to  speak  of  one  trait 
in  Bascom's  character  which  has  not  generally  been 
well  understood.  Many  suppose  that  he  was  a 
mere  pulpit  man,  and  that  the  details  of  other 
pastoral  duty  were  almost  wholly  neglected  by  him. 

This  is  a  total  mistake,  and  especially  as  it 
respects  the  duty  of  visiting  the  sick  ;  for  I  have 
seldom  found  a  man  who  enjoyed  so  much  pleasure 
in  visiting,  comforting,  and  nursing  the  sick. 

A  member  of  his  charge  in  Pittsburg  was  sick 
of  a  fatal,  but  chronic  disease;  Bascom  visited  him 
as  pastor  and  friend  until  his  death.  Sometime 
after  the  man's  death,  his  family  enquired  of 
Bascom  if  he  knew  how  often  he  had  visited  him. 
and  on  answering  in  the  negative,  he  was  informed 
of  the  number  of  his  visits,  and  I  am  quite  certain 
it  exceeded  fifty  —  I  think  fifty-eight. 

In  the  early  part  of  his  ministry  he  kept  a 
regular  list  of  the  sick  of  his  charge,  and  noted  all 
his  visits  to  them.  Such  a  list  I  find  for  his  first 
circuit,  from  which  it  may  be  known  who  were  sick 
and  how  often  and  when  he  visited  each. 

About  the  close  of  this  conference  year  we  find 


180  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

him  preaching  at  Brownsville,  Pa,,  when  the  f(il- 
lowing  report  is  given  by  the  "American  Observer" 
of  that  place,  under  date  of  September,  1825. 

"  He  selected  for  his  text  the  sixth  and  seventh 
verses,  of  the  ninth  chapter  of  Isaiah  :  ^For  unto 
us  a  child  is  born,'  &c.,  and  oh,  if  ever  the  divinity 
of  our  Saviour  was  portrayed  in  colors  the  most 
sinking,  it  was  then.  He  touched  every  chord  with 
a  master  hand.  If  the  tincture  of  his  pencil  was 
brilliant  and  pleasing,  the  force  of  his  argument 
was  irresistible.  If  his  colors  were  glowing,  the 
thunders  of  his  eloquence  were  astounding ;  or  if 
the  ear  was  delighted,  the  heart  was  softened  and 
subdued.  From  the  very  zenith  of  divinity  and 
the  congregation  of  saints,  he  would  plunge  directly 
into  the  very  abyss  of  eternal  perdition,  and 
depict  the  infernal  spirits  of  everlasting  damnation. 
He  would  in  a  moment  soar  to  the  pinnacle  of 
sublimity,  and  descend  into  the  depths  of  hell. 
He  would  heighten  the  imagination,  and  storm  the 
passions  in  a  trice.  He  slew  Deism,  as  with  the 
two-edged  sword.  Unit:irianism  sunk  as  by  magic 
before  him,  and  the  religion  of  Christ  alone  bore 
sway.  He  extended  its  blessings  to  all  quarters 
of  the  globe.  He  unfolded  its  benefits  to  all. 
The  wilds  of  our  own  country,  had  already  experi- 
enced its  beneficial  results  —  it  was  proclaimed  on 
the  Andes,  and  in  Thermopylae,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Ganges  and  the  Nile ;  and  the  day  advancing 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  18] 

»vhen  Italy  would  resound  with  the  gospel,  and 
the  temples  of  old  Jerusalem  become  vocal  with 
its  praise.  '  With  judgment  and  tvith  justice^  from 
henceforth  even  forever.  The  zeal  of  the  Lord  of 
Hosts  ivill  perform  this.'' 

"  The  length  of  his  discourse  was  one  hour  and 
fifty  minutes,  which  to  his  admiring  audience 
seemed  scarce  an  hour.  The  congregation  was 
said  to  consist  of  at  least  three  thousand  persons, 
uf  whom  none  was  displeased,  but  on  the  contrary 
inexpressibly  delighted,  with  the  graceful  and 
pleasing  mode  of  his  delivery,  the  inexhaustible 
fund  of  knowledge,  moral  and  political,  he  appeared 
to  possess,  and  his  fervent  devotion  to  the  cause 
he  has  espoused.  He  sat  down  quite  exhausted, 
amid  the  astonishment  and  most  lively  sensations 
of  the  congregation,  it  being,  as  we  are  informed, 
the  seventh  sermon  he  had  preached  in  little  more 
than  a  week." 

At  the  conference  held  this  autumn,  he  was 
appointed  conference  missionary — an  appointment 
which  I  suppose  was  designed  chiefly  to  afford 
him  an  opportunity  to  travel  at  large,  in  compli- 
ance with  the  numerous  pressing  calls  made  upon 
him  from  all  quarters,  and  more  especially  from 
the  eastern  cities.  He  did  not,  however,  cross  the 
mountains  until  the  spring  or  summer  of  1826, 
but  spent  the  winter  about  Pittsburg  and  the 
neighboring  regions. 


182  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

In  December  of  this  year,  (1825,)  an  incident 
occuiTed,  which,  as  it  gives  another  exemplification 
of  his  devotion  to  his  friends,  may  be  Avorth  relating. 

We  have  seen  before,  that  Mr.  B.iscom's  kind 
attention  to  his  sick  friend  in  Washington  was  the 
incidental  cause  of  his  remaining  on  the  Atlantic 
coast  nine  or  ten  months  longer  than  he  would 
otherwise  have  done,  and  so,  greatly  enlarging  his 
circle  of  acquaintance,  and  his  reputation  as  a 
popular  preacher :  on  learning  that  that  friend 
would  come  to  the  west  in  that  month,  Bascom,  to 
ensure  a  meeting  with  him,  wrote  to  persons  at 
Uniontown,  Brownsville  and  Washington,  Pa.,  to 
detain  him  until  he  (Bascom)  could  get  notice  and 
meet  him.  At  the  latter  place  his  friend  was 
detained,  and  a  letter  despatched  to  him  at  Pitts- 
burg, and  the  following  evening  Bascom  was  on 
the  ground.  Not  satisfied  with  the  conversation 
of  one  day,  he  went  with  his  friend  to  Wheeling, 
Va.,  and  there  detained  him  an  entire  week.  At 
another  time,  two  years  later,  he  ch;dlenged  his 
friend  to  a  meeting  on  middle  ground- — the 
parties  being  separated  by  a  distance  of  more  than 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  ■ —  the  challenge  was 
accepted,  and  a  pleasant  week  spent  together. 
Such  was  the  character  of  Henry  Bascom's  friend- 
ship. What  Phillips  s;vys  of  Napoleon  was  more 
true  of  Briscom — "He  never  forsook  a  friend,  nor 
forgot  a  favor." 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.        183 

After  traveling  somewhat  extensively  through 
the  west,  he  went  eastward  in  the  spring  or  sum- 
mer of  1826,  and  after  visiting  most  of  the  cities 
and  towns  where  he  had  preached  in  1824-5,  he 
extended  his  tour  f  irther  northward,  and  for  the 
first  time  visited  the  city  of  New  York.  Here 
he  was  not  only  received  with  enthusiasm,  but,  if 
we  may  rely  on  the  concurrent  testimony  of  the 
press,  of  letter  writers,  and  of  hearers  generally, 
was  remarkably  successful ;  and  so  thought  he 
himself  He  seldom  spake  of  his  sermons,  and 
especially  not  in  commendation  of  them,  or  to 
elicit  the  commendation  of  others,  even  to  his 
confidential  friends ;  but  on  this  occasion,  he  said 
more  than  I  ever  knew  him  to  say  on  any  other. 
He  had  preached  six  sermons;  and  at  the  close 
of  his  labor,  he  writes,  "I  have  preached  six 
times  in  the  city,  and  I  doubt  if  I  have  ever 
before  been  equally  successful  in  any  six  suc- 
cessive sermons."  This,  to  be  sure,  was  only 
'^  comparing  himself  with  himself,"  but  this  was 
going  farther  than  he  was  accustomed  to  go. 

Having  completed  his  tour,  he  returned  to  the 
west,  and  at  the  conference  of  September,  1826, 
was  appointed  to  Uniontown,  a  small  town  at 
the  western  base  of  the  great  Appalachian  chain 
of  mountains.  Such  a  place  might  well  seem  a 
"  pent  up  Utica  for  his  great  powers,"  but  it  must 
be  understood  th;it  there  w^as  an  ulterior  object  in 


184        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

view.  The  Pittsburg  conference  had  resolved  on 
the  establishment  of  a  college,  and  Uniontown 
had  been  selected  as  the  place  of  its  location.  A 
committee  had  been  charged  with  this  important 
business,  and  Mr.  Bascom  was  at  the  head  of  that 
committee. 

To  build  up  this  institution  of  learning,  Bascom 
went  to  work  with  the  ze;d  and  energy  with  which 
he  prosecuted  every  enterprise  in  which  he  em- 
barked. During  the  winter,  a  liberal  charter  was 
granted,  under  the  name  of  Madison  College,  funds 
were  raised,  general  preparations  made,  and  in 
the  following  June  (1827)  the  trustees  met  and 
regularly  organized  the  college,  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  Mr.  Bascom  President,  with  five  other 
professors  and  tutors,  among  whom  were  Rev.  Dr. 
C.  Elliott  and  the  late  Mr.  Fielding. 

With  the  presidency  was  connected  the  chhii 
of  moral  science  comprehensively;  but  in  the 
infancy  of  the  college,  there  were  no  classes 
sufficiently  advanced  to  receive  the  instructions 
of  that  chair,  and  Mr.  Bascom,  therefore,  devoted 
his  labors  chiefly  to  the  general  advancement  of 
the  interests  of  the  institution  by  every  means 
in  his  power,  by  procuring  students,  raising  funds, 
and   devising  plans  for  its  improvement. 

On  his  formal  installation  into  ofiice  as  President, 
Mr.  Bascom  delivered  an  inaugural  address,  which 
was  highly  commended  by  the  papers  of  the  day, 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  185 

and  from  which,  as  it  was  his  first  published  dis- 
course, we  take  a  few  extracts  for  the  reader's 
gratification : 

"Man  is,  perhaps,  the  most  singularly  con- 
stituted being,  in  the  high  scale  of  heaven's 
mysterious  workmanship ;  and  if  we  except  the 
heavenly  intelligencies,  he  stands  pre-eminent 
among  all  the  works  of  God.  Uniting  in  himself 
a  thousand  modifications  of  matter,  and  the  end- 
less varieties  of  mind,  by  his  material  part, 
connected  with  things  terrestrial;  by  the  imma- 
terial, claiming  alliance  with  a  higher  and  nobler 
world  above ;  mortal  and  immortal  in  his  complex 
nature;  tending  to  the  tomb,  and  yet  superior  to 
its  ravages ;  ever  converging  to  corruption,  and 
the  darkness  of  the  grave,  and  yet  conscious  of 
undying  energies  within ;  he  presents  us  with  a 
problem  in  the  science  of  being,  the  solution  of 
which  can  be  realized  only  in  a  direct  communi- 
cation from  the  Creator  to  the  creature  —  of 
whose  mysterious  formation  and  attributes  we  are 
now  speaking.  Man  seems  to  unite  in  himself 
the  diversities  of  created  nature,  and  stand  forth, 
not  unaptly,  to  the  contemplation  of  intelligence, 
as  an  epitome  of  being ;  an  abridgment  of  the 
universe !  Of  the  primitive  condition  and  ultimate 
destination  of  man,  it  cannot  be  necessary  for  us 
to  speak  at  length  here.  Njiture,  tradition,  and 
inspiration,  unite  in  their  testimony,  that  he  left 


186  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

the  hand  of  the  Creator,  combiiiiog  in  himself 
the  elements  of  an  existence,  splendid  in  its 
structure,  and  boundless  in  prospect." 

"  As  a  solitary  or  a  social  being,  man  must  be 
partially  wretched,  if  devoid  of  proper  instruction ; 
but  if  possessed  of  the  advantages  of  education, 
nothing  but  an  evil,  an  upbraiding  conscience,  can 
make  him  miserable.  In  the  city  or  the  desert ; 
in  a  palace,  or  a  cottage ;  in  robes,  or  in  rags  ; 
standing  on  land,  or  rolling  on  the  ocean;  buried 
amid  the  snows  of  Iceland,  or  burning  beneath 
the  fervors  of  the  torrid  zone  ;  he  has  resources  of 
which  he  can  be  deprived  only  by  the  Power  that 
conferred  them.  Beggared  by  misfortune  ;  exiled 
by  friends ;  abjured  by  society,  and  deprived  of  its 
solace,  the  interior  of  the  intellectual  structure, 
continues  unaffected  and  underanged  amid  the 
accumulating  wretchedness  without  ;  and  the 
temple  of  the  soul  is  still  sacred  to  the  cherished 
recollections  of  ' Nature  and  Nature's  God.'" 

-3^  'tP  T^  -tP  tP  TV-  ^ 

"  Let  memory,  for  a  moment,  sketch  the  deso- 
late map  of  Greece  :  Where  now  are  the  walks  of 
Genius,  and  the  retreats  of  the  Muses,  upon  the 
banks  of  the  lllisus,  and  the  Argora  of  Athens  ? 
Where  is  the  Grove  of  Plato,  the  Lyceum  of 
Aristotle,  and  the  Poj'ch  of  Zeno  ?  We  have  to 
repeat,  alas !  Greece  is  no  longer    the  theatre  ol 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  187 

learning,  and  Athens  is  endeared  to  us  only  as 
the  alma  mater  of  the  literary  world  1 " 

"Visit  the  classic  but  profaned  ruins  of  Athens 
and  Rome,  and  ask  the  genius  of  the  place,  or 
the  page  of  history,  where  is  the  freedom  immor- 
talized by  the  Philippics  of  Demosthenes,  and 
the  orations  of  Cicero?  And  the  one  and  the 
other  will  answer,  knowledge  departed,  and  liberty 
was  exiled!  Polished  Greece,  therefore,  and 
imperial  Rome  owed  their  distinction  to  letters. 
And  what  is  it  knowledge  cannot  achieve  ?  It 
has  transformed  the  ocean  into  the  highway  of 
nations.  Steam,  fire,  wind,  and  wave,  all  minister 
to  the  comforts  and  elegancies  of  life.  The  cold 
and  insensible  marble  speaks  and  breathes.  The 
pencil  of  Raphael  gives  body  and  soul  to  color, 
light,  and  shade.  The  magnet,  the  mysterious 
polarity  of  the  loadstone,  conducts  man  over  the 
bosom  of  the  deep  to  the  islands  of  the  sea ; 
while  the  glass  introduces  him  to  the  heavens, 
and  kindles  his  devotion  amid  the  grandeur  of  a 
thousand  worlds ! " 

"  The  exceptionable  parts  of  the  works  of  these 
celebrated  models  of  taste  and  composition,  (par- 
ticularly Greek  and  Latin  authors,)  will  be  carefully 
excluded ;  but  you  will  find  much  to  admire,  and 
much  that  is  worthy  of  imitation.  Even  here,  you 
miy  wander  wih  Homer  upon  the  banks  of  the 


188       LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

Simois  and  the  Scamander.  You  may  gaze  ou 
the  beautiful  Helen,  and  the  enraged  Achilles. 
The  chiefs  of  Greece  and  Troy,  will  engage  in 
mortal  combat  before  you ;  and  you  will  dissolve 
in  tears  at  the  meeting  of  Hector  and  Andromache. 
Herodotus  will  introduce  to  you  the  millions  of 
barbarians  following  the  standard  of  Xerxes.  The 
brave  Leonidas,  and  his  Spartan  band,  will  dispute 
the  passage  of  Thermopylae  before  your  eyes. 
Victory  will  disgrace  Persia,  and  defeat  bring 
glory  to  Greece  !  Horace  and  Virgil  will  introduce 
you  to  the  palatine  and  capitolium  of  Rome ;  they 
will  conduct  you  along  the  banks  of  the  Po, 
adorned  on  either  side  by  the  meadows  of  Mantua ; 
and  you  shall  regale  and  delight  yourselves  amid 
the  enchanting  groves  of  Umbria.  Go  on,  then, 
young  gentlemen,  and  seek  a  deserved  and  well 
merited  celebrity;  and  if  you  cannot  reach  the 
summit  of  Parnassus,  linger  at  its  foot,  and  imbibe 
the  streams  of  knowledge  and  science  as  they 
gurgle  by." 

"We  feel  a  daring  consciousness  —  an  almost 
prophetic  persuasion,  that  should  we  add  to  an 
indulgence  in  the  lofty  aims  of  an  imperishable 
ambition,  coresponding  vigor  and  skill  of  effort, 
this  country  is  destined,  at  no  distant  period,  to 
rise  and  take  its  stand  among  the  lettered  nations 
of  the  old  world.     Religion  and  science  are  already 


LIFE    OF    BlSHOr    BASCOM  189 

taught  ill  one  hundred  and  forly  difFerent  dialects: 
hand  in  hand,  united  in  immortal  wedlock,  they 
are  every  where  extending  iheir  empire,  and 
multiplying  their  votaries.  The  colledioe  mind  of 
universal  man,  seems  to  have  caught  the  "  classic 
contagion,"  and  it  is  difl'using  itself,  wiih  epidemic 
energy,  ove"  sefi  and  land.  We  are  aware,  how- 
ever, that  the  progress  of  knowledge  will  be 
opposed.  Ignorance,  tyranny,  and  tyrants,  have 
always  been  opposed  to  light  and  knowledge :  and 
as  Caligula  wished  to  destroy  the  works  of  Homer, 
Livy,  and  Virgil,  so  have  these,  whether  in  church 
or  in  state,  aimed  at  the  defeat  of  every  essay, 
calculated  to  inspire  a  love  for  liberty,  equality, 
and  virtue.  It  is,  indeed,  to  be  regretted,  that 
even  in  this  age  of  moral  illumination  and  virtuous 
chivalry,  there  are  the  incurious  and  the  careless, 
who  take  no  interest  in  the  improvement  and 
march  of  mind — and  whose  only  pleasure  appears 
to  be  derived  from  an  ignorance  of  duty.  Swayed 
in  the  lower  ranks  of  society,  by  a  love  of  things 
present,  and  in  the  higher,  by  the  mania  of  property, 
if  they  can  only  '  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry  ' —  if 
they  can  hoard  wealth,  count  the  miser's  gains, 
and  revel  in  luxury,  it  is  all  they  care  for.  These 
haters  of  knowledge — these  contemners  of  wisdom 
—  these  drudges  of  avarice  and  cupidity,  at  once 
the  curse  and  the  nuisance  of  society,  could  have 
seen  at  Alexandria  and  at  Rome,  without  emotion 


190  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

or  a  tear,  the  long  regretted  monuments  of  genius 
and  glory  perish  in  the  flames.  ^Away  with  your 
learning,'  is  an  argument  with  which  we  are  met 
on  every  side.  And  this  language  of  Mecca,  this 
motto  of  the  Vatican,  comes  from  an  American, 
a  Christian,  the  father  of  a  group  of  children 
flanking  his  door-yard." 

Mr.  Bascom  applied  himself  assiduously  to  the 
object  of  procuring  legislative  aid  for  Madison 
College.  He  wrote  to  and  conversed  with  members 
of  the  Legislature,  and  other  influential  men, 
earnestly  urging  the  claims  of  the  infant  college 
on  the  bounty  of  the  state  treasury ;  and  he 
finally  succeeded,  if  I  mistake  not,  to  the  amount 
of  ten  thousand  dollars. 

Another  favorite  project  with  him  was  the 
establishment  of  a  professorship  of  agricultural 
science  and  practice  in  the  college. 

Mr.  Bascom's  original  correspondence  on  this 
subject,  with  the  most  distinguished  men  of  the 
nation  at  that  time,  is  in  my  possession,  and  as 
some  of  the  suggestions  of  these  eminent  men 
may  be  regarded  as  valuable,  and  as  they  are 
every  one  now  gone  from  among  us,  I  have  con- 
cluded to  incorporate  these  letters  into  this  work. 

His  Excellency,  James  Madison,  Ex-Pr-esident  of  the  U.  S. 

My  Dear  Sir:  —  In  the  name,  and  by  order  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  "  Madison  College,"  recently  established  in  this 
borough,  1  am  instructed  to  say,  that  in  consideration  of  your 
distinguished  public  and  private  worth,  as  a  citizen  of  tbe  United 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  19] 

States,  they  have  taken  the  liberty,  without  consulting  you,  ol 
calling  tliis  Institution  by  your  name  I  am  directed  to  tendei 
you  the  high  consideration  of  the  Board  ;  and  beg  you  to  accepi 
from  me,  individually,  assurances  of  my  perfect  esteem. 

Very  respectfully, 

H.  B.  Bascom. 
Uniontown,  Pa.,  March  13,  1827. 

I  have  received,  sir,  your  letter  of  the  19th  instant,  saying  that 
the  trustees  of  the  college  recently  established  in  Uniontown, 
have  been  pleased  to  call  it  by  my  name.  Regarding  every  new 
institution  for  the  wholesome  instruction  of  youth,  as  a  gain  to 
the  cause  of  national  improvement,  and  to  the  stability  and 
prosperity  of  our  free  system  of  government,  I  feel  that  my 
name  is  greatly  honored  by  such  an  association  as  has  been  made 
of  it.  Be  so  obliging,  sir,  as  to  express  for  me  the  acknowledg- 
ments I  owe  to  the  Trustees,  with  my  best  wishes,  that  they  may 
receive  for  their  fostering  care  of  the  infant  college,  the  reward 
most  grateful  to  them,  in  its  rapid  growth  and  extensive  useful- 
ness. I  oifer  you,  at  the  same  time,  assurances  of  my  particular 
consideration  and  respect. 

James  Madison. 

Montpelier,  March  27,  1827. 

TTniontown,  June  26,  1827. 
Mr.  Madison, 

Dear  Sir, —  Accompanying  this  letter,  I  send  you  a  copy  of 

the  charter  of  Madison   College.     By  reference  to  the  ninth 

article,  you  will  perceive  that  it  is  the  intention  of  the  trustees  to 

have  attached  to  the  Institution  an  agricultural  department,  in 

which  all  the  various  arts  and  uses  of  this  important  branch  of 

human  industry  shall  be  taught  upon  scientific  principles,  and 

reduced  to  practice  in  the  grounds  and  gardens  attached  to  the 

College  for  that  purpose.     As  this  is  rather  an  experiment  in  the 

literary  world,  especially  in   tliis  country,  I  shall  feel   myself 

greatly  obliged,  should  you  be  so  good  as  to  furnish  me  with  youi 

views  upon  this  subject.     Madison  College  is  yet  in  its  infancy 

but,  from  a  calculation  of  probabilities,  it  is  likelv  to  do  well 


192  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM 

» 
Accept  my  thanks  for  your  former  letter ;    and  permit  me  to 
renew  assurances  of  my  perfect  esteem. 

Very  respectfully, 

H.  B.  Bascom. 

MoNTPELiER,  July  21,  1827. 

Dear  Sir,  — Your  favor  of  June  26,  enclosing  a  copy  of  the 
Charter  of  the  College,  having  arrived  during  an  absence  from 
which  I  am  just  returned,  I  could  no  sooner  acknowledge  it.  It 
gives  me  pleasure  to  find  that  the  Trustees  are  about  to  attach 
to  the  Institution,  an  agricultural  department,  an  improvement 
well  meriting  a  place  among  the  practical  ones  which  the  lights 
of  the  age,  and  the  genius  of  our  country,  are  adding  to  the 
ordinary  course  of  public  instructton. 

I  wish  I  could  give  value  to  my  commendation,  by  pointing  out 
the  best  mode  of  adapting  the  experiment  to  its  useful  object 
The  task,  I  doubt  not,  will  be  well  performed  by  the  intelligent 
councils  charged  with  the  Institution,  aided,  as  they  will  be,  by 
the  better  models  of  rural  economy  in  your  state  than  are 
presented  in  this. 

The  views  of  this  subject  which  occurred  in  the  agricultural 
society  in  the  neighborhood  of  our  University,  will  be  seen  in  a 
printed  circular,  of  which  1  enclose  a  copy;  and  with  it,  an 
address  to  the  society,  which  will  show  that  our  agricultural 
practice  is  as  much  behind  that  of  your  state,  as  the  latter  can 
be  short  of  the  attainable  standard.  Perhaps  the  celebrated 
establishment  of  Fellenberg,  in  Switzerland,  may  give  useful 
hints  in  combining  agricultural  with  academic  instruction,  and 
both  with  the  advantages  of  an  experimental  and  pattern  farm. 

Repeating  my  wishes  for  the  prosperity  and  usefulness  of  the 
nascent  seminary,  I  tender  you  my  respectful  and  friendly 
salutations. 

James  Madison. 

Madison  College,  Oct.  19,  1827. 
Mr.  Madison, 

My  Dear  Sir,  —  I  have  the  pleasure  of  informing  you  that  our 
infant  College  is  in  successful  operation,  with  six  '<  achers,  activel/ 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  193 

employed  every  day.  Our  prospects,  at  present,  afford  consid- 
arable  promise,  and  allow  us  to  hope  much,  in  behalf  of  the 
mstitution. 

The  seal  of  the  College  is  simple  and  unpretending;  a  smal) 
vignette  engraving  of  the  head  of  Mr.  Madison,  with  this  designa- 
tion, "  Madisoniensis  collegii  sigillum,  182 7,"  in  Roman  numerals. 

We  shall  proceed  slowly,  but  we  hope  to  do  it  safely.  Our 
first  maxim  is  not  to  go  in  debt ;  it  we  do  but  Httle,  we  intend  to 
do  it  honestly,  and  do  it  well. 

I  am  now  constantly  employed  in  the  collection  of  books,  maps, 
charts  and  moneys,  for  the  institution.  At  present  we  have  sixty- 
three  scholars,  and  about  twenty  more  engaged  to  enter  shortly. 

What  we  most  need  in  the  present  state  of  our  progress,  are  a 
library,  and  the  necessary  apparatus  for  a  college.  The  agricul- 
tural department  excites  considerable  interest  in  different  sections 
of  the  country.  We  shall  be  thankful  for  your  paternal  advice 
ftt  any  time.  Very  respectfully, 

H.  B.  Bascom 

MoNTPELiER,  November  10,  1827. 

Dear  Sir,  —  Your  letter  of  October  19,  was  received  in  due 
time.  The  acknowledgement  of  it  has  been  delayed  by  a  wish 
to  accompany  it  with  a  copy,  as  requested,  of  the  enactments  of 
our  university,  which  1  did  not  obtain  till  two  days  ago. 

1  congratulate  you  on  the  encouraging  prospect  whicti  dawns 
on  the  infant  establishment  under  your  presiding  care.  A 
temporary  deficiency  in  the  articles  of  apparatus  and  library,  is 
generally  felt  in  learned  institutions,  the  offspring  of  individual 
efforts,  in  a  country  not  abounding  in  individual  wealth.  In  our 
university,  though  now  under  state  endowment,  the  library  is  on 
a  scale  little  comporting,  as  yet,  with  that  of  the  plan.  The 
books  are,  however,  systematically  chosen,  and  form  a  nucleus 
for  an  excellent  collection.  No  catalogue  has  been  printed,  or  1 
would  add  a  copy  to  that  of  the  enactment. 

I  cannot  too  much  commend  the  prudent  rules  by  which  it  is 

proposed    to   manage   the    economic    interests   of    the    college. 

Experience  shows  the  evil  tendency  of  incurring  debts  beyond 

rrsources,  in  the  case  of  public  bodies,  as  well  as  of  individuals 

13 


194  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

Aud  the  Spanish  adage,  festina  lente,  conveys  a  lesson  particu- 
larly applicable  to  the  case  of  new  undertakings,  having  difficul- 
ties to  overcome  with  scantiness  of  means. 

With  great  esteem  and  good  wishes, 

James  Madison. 

Danghangane  Manor,  Nov.  13,  1827. 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  lately  received  your  obliging  letter  of  the  8th 
instant,  and  consider  the  Carroll  Institute  of  Agriculture,* 
proposed  to  be  established  in  Madison  College,  as  a  distinguished 
honor  conferred  upon  me.  It  is  indeed  surprising  that  that 
college  should  be  the  first  to  establish  a  professorship  for  teaching 
and  diffusing  the  science  of  agriculture,  so  essential  to  the  welfare 
of  every  country,  particularly  to  the  United  States.  Great 
benefits,  undoubtedly,  this  country  will  derive  from  the  institution. 
That  such  may  be  reaped,  that  Madison  College  may  prosper, 
and  that  the  laudable  example  it  has  set,  may  be  followed  by 
others,  are  the  ardent  wishes  of 

Dear  Sir,  your  humble  servant, 

Ch.  Carroll,  of  Carrollton. 

Mr.  H.  B.  Bascom. 

Richmond,  November  19,  1827. 

Dear  Sir,  —  Yesterday,  on  my  return  from  North  Carolina,  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  your  favor  of  the  10th.  The 
question  you  proposed  is  one  which  I  am  not  well  qualified  to 
answer.  It  can  scarcely  be  considered  independently  of  accom- 
panying circumstances.  That  agriculture  is  a  science  in  which 
society  is  deeply  interested,  no  man  will  deny ;  and  that  it  may 
be  (rreatly  improved  by  scientific  researches,  will,  I  presume,  be 
generally  admitted.  It  is,  however,  a  science  in  which  much 
practice  must  be  blended  with  theory,  and  in  which  theory  itself 
varies  with  soil,  climate,  and  a  variety  of  circumstances.  Much 
will,  of  course,  depend  on  the  professor,  and  much  on  the  facility 
with  which  he  may  be  enabled  to  make  his  experiments. 

A  student  may  certainly  derive  advantages  from  such  a  depart- 
oient,  if  well  conducted,  and  may  acquire  a  knowledge  of  prin- 

*  Named  in  honor  of  the  venerable  Ch.  Carroll. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  195 

cij)les  that  will  be  useful  to  him  in  after  life.  It  seems  to  me  to 
be  connected  with  the  department  of  chemistry,  and,  in  some 
degree,  with  mechanics.  Such  a  professorship  may,  1  should 
think,  furnish  valuable  information  to  the  public. 

How  far  it  may  be  useful  to  the  particular  institution,  msxy 
probably  depend  upon  circumstances,  among  which  the  state  ol 
its  funds  ought  not  to  be  overlooked. 

With  great  respect,  I  am  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  Marshall. 

Mr.  H.  B.  Bascom. 

Washington,  November  24,  1827. 

My  Dear  Sir,  —  I  duly  received  your  letter  of  the  10th  inst., 
in  which  you  are  pleased  to  ask  my  opinion  of  the  utility  of  an 
agricultural  professorship,  which  is  proposed  to  be  established  in 
your  college.  I  think  such  a  professorship,  properly  filled,  and 
its  duties  performed  with  zeal  and  industry,  would  be  productive 
of  much  benefit ;  and  it  could  be  no  where  better  situated  than 
in  the  fertile  regions  beyond  the  mountains.  It  would  be  a 
leading  object  with  the  professor,  to  teach  the  practical  application 
of  the  sciences  (chemistry  especially)  to  agriculture  ;  and  also  to 
bring  into  view  the  most  approved  implements  of  husbandry  in 
use  in  different  parts  of  the  Union,  and  in  other  countries,  as 
well  as  improvements  which  may  be  made  from  time  to  time. 

With  my  best  wishes  for  the  success  of  your  college  in  all  its 

departments,  I  am,  truly,  your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

H.  Clay. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Bascom. 

Uniontown,  Pa.,  November  19,  1827. 
His  Ex.  De  Witt  Clinton. 

My  Dear  Sir,  —  I  must  beg  you  to  excuse  the  liberty  I  take 
in  requesting  your  opinion  on  a  subject  in  which  I  feel  the 
deepest  interest;  —  it  is,  the  comparative  fitness  and  probable 
utility  of  an  agricultural  professorshi])  in  the  colleges  of  this 
country.  We  are  about  to  make  the  attempt  to  establish  one  in 
this  Institution  ;  indeed,  provisionally,  it  already  exists,  and  I 
am  anxious  to  have  your  opinion  in  relation  to  a  literary 
movement  of  so  novel  a  character  in  the  United  States. 


l96  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

Should  your  views  and  feelings  incline  you  to  do  so,  it  will 
afford  me  much  pleasure  to  hear  from  you  in  reply  to  the  sugges- 
tion   above:  —  all   which   is   respectfully    submitted.        Accept 

assurances  of  my  perfect  good  will. 

H.  B.  Bascom. 

Albany,  November  24,  1827. 

Sir^ — I  have  been  favored  with  your  letter  of  the  9th  inst. 
and  fully  sensible  of  the  honor  you  have  done  me,  in  consulting 
me  on  a  subject  so  important,  I  now  answer  it  with  great 
pleasure. 

In  a  communication  to  our  Legislature  in  1818, 1  recommended 
the  establishment  of  a  Board  of  Agriculture,  and  added  the 
foUowins  remarks,  "  And  a  Professorship  of  Agriculture  attached 
to  our  Board,  or  connected  with  the  University,  might  also  be 
constituted,  embracing  the  kindred  sciences  of  Chemistry,  Min- 
eralogy, Botany,  and  the  other  departments  of  natural  history; 
bv  which  means,  a  complete  course  of  agricultural  education 
would  be  taught,  developing  the  principles  of  the  science, 
illustrating  the  practice  of  the  arts,  and  restoring  the  first  and 
best  pursuit  of  man  to  that  intellectual  rank  which  it  ought  to 
occupy  in  the  scale  of  human  estimation." 

My  opinion  on  this  subject  remains  unchanged :  and  as 
agriculture  is  a  science  as  well  as  an  art,  the  benefits  from  such 
an  institution  must  be  great  and  extensive.  In  Edinburg,  and 
two  or  three  other  foreign  universities,  professorships  of  agricul 
ture  have  been  instituted  with  great  advantage.  The  work  of 
Sir  Humphrey  Davy,  on  chemical  agriculture,  evinces  the  close 
alliance  between  this  art  and  the  most  analytical  and  profound 
investigations  of  science. 

With  my  best  wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  the  institution  over 
which  you  preside,  and  with  sentiments  of  high  respect,  I  have 
the  honor  to  be  your  most  obedient  servant, 

De  Witt  Clinton. 

President  Bascom. 

Washington,  4th  December,  1827. 
Dear  Sir,  —  Accept  my  thanks  for  your  letter  of  the  8th  ult., 
and  for  the  copy  of  the  Laws  and  Charter  of  Madison   College, 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  197 

forwarded  with  it.  Tiie  institurion  of  a  professorship  of  agricul 
ture  at  that  establishment,  I  believe  and  hope,  will  be  attended 
with  salutary  effects,  and  a  similar  professorship  at  other 
colleges  in  our  country,  would  constitute  an  improvement  of  the 
system  of  education  pursued  in  their  halls.  There  are,  I  believe 
some  academies  in  Europe,  and  in  this  country,  where  lessons 
of  agriculture  are  given  in  connection  with  a  farm  which  is 
cultivated  by  the  students.  These,  perhaps,  are  the  most  useful 
institutions,  as  they  combine  the  theory  with  the  practice. 

Wishing  you  all  success  at  the  college  over  which  you  preside, 
with  health  and  prosperity,  I  remain  respectfully  yours, 

J.  Q.  Adams. 

Rev.  H.  B.  Bascom. 


Mr.  Bascom  labored  with  great  zeal  and  perse- 
verance to  establish  the  college  on  a  permanent 
basis,  and  certainly  succeeded  in  doing  much,  but 
there  were  strong  counteracting  circumstances 
which  stood  in  the  way  of  complete  success.  The 
endowment  was  trifling  in  amount,  the  local 
patronage  limited,  and  that  from  a  distance  still 
more  so ;  of  course  a  full  faculty  of  instruction  could 
not  be  supported  adequately,  and  Bascom,  at  least, 
was  not  in  a  condition  to  labor  for  naught;  and 
besides,  the  church  controversy  was  just  then  at  its 
height,  and  dissentient  partizans  would  not  har- 
monize in  supporting  an  institution  which  each 
party  feared  might  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  other. 
In  this  state  of  things,  in  1829  Mr.  Bascom 
resigned  the  Presidency  of  Madison  college  aft?: 
having  labored  hard  for  about  three  years  to  build 
it  up. 


198  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

On  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Bascom  the  conference 
adopted  the  following  approbatory  resolution : 

"Resolved — That  the  cordial  thanks  of  this 
conference  be  tendered  to  brother  H.  B.  Bascom 
for  his  disinterested  exertions  in  the  establishment 
of  Madison  college.  We  sincerely  regret  the 
existence  of  any  circumstance  which  may  have 
induced  him  to  resign  his  relation  to  it  as  Presi- 
dent: we  hope,  however,  that  this  resignation 
ihall  not  alienate  his  friendly  influence  and  interest 
rom  our  inf  int  institution. 

''  True  copy.  C.  Cook,  Sec'yy 

That  the  want  of  adequate  compensation  had 
much  influence  in  superinducing  Bascom's  resigna- 
tion is  highly  probable.  The  reader  will  recollect 
that  as  far  back  as  1814  he  complained  of  his 
embarrassing  debt,  and  that  in  1816  he  was  fairly 
groaning  under  his  burden,  and  mourning  his 
inability  to  relieve  the  pressing  necessities  of  his 
fjither  and  family.  From  that  period  onward,  mat- 
ters were  every  year  growing  worse  with  him,  for 
while  the  old  debt  remained  uncancelled,  each 
succeeding  year  the  claims  on  him  grew  larger  and 
more  pressing;  his  father  was  less  and  less  able 
to  help  himself  and  family  every  year,  his  children 
must  be  educated  or  grow  up  in  ignorance,  and 
the  heaviest  of  the  whole  burden  rested  on  the 
shoulders  of  Henry.  In  1825  his  father  writes  to 
liini :  —  "My  corn  is  light :  what  little  remained 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  199 

of  our  wheat  crop  the  weevils  have  destroyed  j 
my  potatoes  are  barely  the  seed,  and  poverty 
crowds  on  every  side." 

While  at  the  college,  inl827  the  ever  accumu- 
lating pressure  seems  to  have  driven  him  almost 
to  despair.     He  writes :  — 

"My  father  is  alarmingly  infirm  this  spring — on 
this  subject  I  tremble  between  hope  and  fear.  I 
am  quite  fixed  in  my  purpose  to  locate  this  fall  — 
I  am  absolutely  compelled  to  do  it,  and  I  can 
hesitate  no  longer.  I  do  not  believe  it  is  my  duty 
to  suffer  even  to  disgrace  in  order  to  remain  in  the 
traveling  connection.  My  situation  is  getting  worse 
every  day  —  the  interest  of  the  money  I  owe 
exceeds  my  income — and  my  correspondence  costs 
me  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars  a  year.  My 
clothes  are  worn  out,  and  I  have  not  the  means  to 
replace  them.  What  better  can  I  do  than  retire 
from  an  unequal  contest  ?  I  should  like  to  remain 
in  the  traveling  connection,  but  I  am  fatally 
doomed,  after  fourteen  years  of  toil,  like  Cowper's 
^stricken  deer'  to  seek  the  shade  and  try  to 
recover  my  wounds."  Yet  after  all  he  never  could 
get  his  consent  to  retire  from  the  servdce  of  the 
church,  but  held  on,  and  suffered,  and  endured 
until,  at  last,  death  signed  his  release.  Oh,  to  see 
a  soul  of  such  noble  mould  wrestling  with  poverty, 
and  crushed  through  its  own  high  devotion  to 
the  cause  of  God,  of  filial  piety  and  of  general 


200  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

benevolence,   must  at  once   excite   sorrow,  grief 
and  admiration. 

Mr.  Bascom  was  a  member  of  the  General 
Conference  of  1828 ;  but  such  was  the  state  of 
parties  in  the  church,  that  he  appears  to  have 
taken  no  active  part  in  the  deliberations  of  the 
body,  though  he  was  active  in  trying  to  bring 
about  a  reconciliation,  as  we  shall  more  fully 
learn  in  another  place. 

During  the  period  of  his  connection  with  Mad- 
ison College,  he  traveled  extensively,  and  preached, 
as  well  as  labored  to  advance  the  interests  of  the 
college. 

On  one  of  these  excursions,  he  visited  some  of 
the  interior  towns  of  Pennsylvaria,  and  we  select 
the  following  notice  of  his  labors  from  a  number 
of  like  kind.  We  quote  directly  from  the  United 
States  Gazette,  of  Philadelphia : 

"An  Eloquent  Preacher. — The  Rev.  H.  B. 
Bascom,  a  preacher  of  the  ^lethodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and,  if  we  mistake  not,  a  professor  in  one 
of  the  colleges  of  Kentucky,  has,  it  appears  from 
our  late  country  papers,  b(  en  preaching  in  the 
interior  of  this  State.  Mr  Bascom  is,  probably, 
one  of  the  most  eloquent  /xien  of  his  age.  We 
listened  to  him  some  years  ago  in  this  city.  And 
never  listened  to  a  pubic  speaker  with  more 
intense  interest.  He  is  aot  so  persuasive  and 
winning  as   Summerfield  used  to  be,  and  diffens 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  201 

very  materially  in  his  style  of  oratory  from  Mr. 
Maffitt,  but  we  think  him  more  brilliant  and  intel- 
lectual than  either.  He  fascinates  the  mind,  and 
delights  the  imagination,  while  Mr.  Summerfield 
appealed  to  the  feelings  and  touched  the  heart. 
Mr.  Maffitt  is  now  or  was  recently  in  this  city. 
He  still  attracts  numerous  audiences,  and  is 
admired  by  thousands.  He  is  unquestionably 
a  fascinating  and  agreeable  speaker,  but,  to  our 
taste,  is  far  behind  Bascom.  It  seems  that  this 
latter  gentleman  recently  delivered  an  address  at 
the  laying  of  a  corner  stone  in  Hollidaysburg,  Pa. 
The  editor  of  the  Aurora,  published  at  that  place, 
has  the  following  notice  of  it  : 

" '  Frequently  have  we  heard  discourses,  which 
we  deemed  elegant  —  frequently  have  sat  and 
listened  with  admiring  delight  to  the  animated 
speaker  or  sublime  orator  —  but  never  have  we 
heard  anything,  in  elegance  of  style  and  sound- 
ness of  logic,  excel,  or  even  equal  that  of  Bascom 
on  the  above  occasion.  His  is  the  peculiar  power 
to  fascinate  an  audience  —  to  charm  the  soul,  and 
open  anew  the  dried  fountains  of  feeling  in  every 
bosom;  his  clear  and  glowing  metaphors;  his  deep 
searching  description,  all  bespeak  a  paragon  in 
the  wide  school  of  impassioned  oratory.  Who 
that  sits  for  one  moment,  beneath  the  just  rebuke 
of  Bascom,  and  does  not  feel  the  gnarled  princi- 
ples of  his  nature  riven  by  the  thunderbolt  of  his 
9* 


202  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

intoUec  n.'il  power  and  the  fire  of  his  most  super- 
natural expression,  but  must  be  steeled  against 
all  sensibility.  He  is  emphatically  ^a  painter 
for  eternity.'  Although  the  day  was  highly 
disagreeable,  there  was  not  the  least  symptom  of 
impatience  manifested  by  the  assemblage,  but  all 
was  attention,  every  eye  was  riveted  on  the 
speaker  —  and  every  tongue  was  mute,  save  an 
occasional  whisper  of  gratification  —  the  deep 
monotony  of  the  wind  whistling  through  the 
interstices  of  the  stand,  contrasted  fearfully  with 
the  distinct  tone  of  his  voice.  Disappointment 
filled  every  mind,  but  not  that  disappointment 
which  arises  from  heightened  expectations  —  for 
our  own  part,  we  had  formed  an  idea  of  his 
powers ;  we  had  painted  them  in  our  imagination, 
but  our  anticipations  were  more  than  realized. 
The  description  given  of  him  by  Rev.  Mr.  Maffitt, 
which  was  published  in  the  first  number  of  the 
Aurora,  considered  at  that  time  by  some  as  a 
fulsome  adulation  of  the  man,  even  fiuls  to 
delineate  his  just  attributes.  Language  is  inca- 
pable of  portraying  his  abilities  —  the  heart  alone 
can  do  him  justice.' 

"  This  encomium  seems  extravagant  and  enthu- 
siastic, and  it  probably  is  somewhat  so ;  but  it  is 
exactly  such  a  notice  as  we  could  have  written 
some  years  since,  after  hearing  a  sermon  preached 
by  Mr.  B.  in  one  of  the  Presbyterian  churches  of 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.        203 

this  city.  We  are  not  ourselves  attached  to  the 
Methodist  persuasion,  and  this  tribute,  therefore, 
to  the  powers  of  an  eloquent  divine  must  not  be 
attributed  to  any  sectarian  prejudice." 

In  short,  wherever  he  went,  the  public  press 
and  the  popular  voice  were  eloquent  in  eulogy  of 
his  wonderful  efforts.  Infidels  were  reclaimed  by 
the  force  of  his  reasoning,  and  sinners  were 
awakened  by  the  power  of  his  startling  appeals. 


CHAPTE^<  XVI. 


EMBRACING   HIS   AGENCY  OF  THE  COLONIZATION  SOCIETY 


Mr.  Bascom  is  appointed  Agent  of  the  American  Colonization 
Society  —  His  Views  on  that  Suhjee^  —  Journal  of  his  first  tour 
on  that  Mission  —  Popularity  and  Success  —  Notices  of  the 
Press  —  Preaclied  much  while  in  the  Agency  —  Large  Report  of 
one  of  his  Sermons  —  Perilous  Stage  Co-^ch  Accident. 


In  1829,  Mr.  Bascom,  having  resigned  the 
Presidency  of  Madison  College,  accepted  a  gen- 
eral agency  of  the  American  Colonization  Society. 

He  had,  from  a  very  early  age,  as  we  have 
seen,  stood  in  a  state  of  consistent  antagonism  to 
the  wild  schemes  of  ultra  abolitioniv^.^  but  the 
plan  of  colonizing  the  free  people  of  Cc!or  of  this 
country  in  the  land  of  their  forefathers,  ho  rep;arded 
as  one  of  real  benevolence,  promising  largt  ben- 
efits to  that  unhappy  portion  of  the  African  race. 
He  saw  them  alike  permanently  without  the  privi- 
leges and  motives  of  freemen  and  the  restraints 
and  guardianship  of  a  state  of  slavery;  more 
miserable,  generally,  than  a  state  of  absolute 
bondage ;  and  he  saw  that  there  was  no  hope  of 
their  redemption  from  it,  while  they  remained 
fimong  a  white   race,  save  in    the    impracticable 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.        205 

and  revoltingly  unnatural  exj^edieut  of  amalgamu- 
tion  —  no  real  hope  but  in  placing  them  in  a 
community  of  their  own  equals  and  color,  and 
under  the  influence  of  a  new  and  higher  class 
of  motives  to  self-elevation.  lie  saw  that  the 
presence  and  degradation  of  this  class  operated 
restrainingly  on  the  benevolent  feelings  of  masters 
who  were  inclined  to  give  freedom  to  their  slaves, 
by  destroying  all  motives  to  such  attempts. 

He  believed,  too,  that  the  establishment  of 
colonies  of  colored  people  from  this  country,  in 
the  benighted  regions  of  Africa,  would  be  the 
most  effectual  means  of  extending  the  blessings 
of  civilization  and  Christianity  to  that  dark  and 
blood  stained  continent. 

Under  these  and  kindred  views  of  the  subject, 
he  entered  on  his  work  with  all  the  ardor  and 
enthusiasm  of  his  nature,  and  wherever  he  went, 
he  left  the  impress  of  his  stirring  appeals  on  the 
hearts  and  minds  of  the  people. 

We  can  give  few  details  —  were  it  even  de- 
sirable to  do  so,  —  of  Mr.  Bascom's  operations  in 
this  agency ;  he  has,  however,  left  some  account 
of  his  first  tour  in  this  service.  And  as  an 
interest  now  attaches  to  almost  all  his  proceedings, 
we  shall  give  the  reader  the  substance  of  what  we 
find  in  his  journal  kept  during  that  tour. 

"August  21, 1829.  Left  Pittsburg  alone  and 
on  horseback.     My  route  was  by  the  Erie  turn- 


206        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

pike  road,  which  led  me  through  a  dreary^ 
desolate,  nian-and-womanless  region.  Had  a  soso 
dinner  at  C — 's,  where  were  several  soso  looking 
talkative  girls,  mostly  of  age  and  full  grown.  In 
the  afternoon  rode  to  B — ;  and  while  riding  through 
a  dense  rayless  forest  of  trees  and  underwood,  was 
suddenly  started  by  the  soul-freezing  scream  of  a 
panther.  He  followed  me  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  keeping  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the 
road  and  parallel  with  it,  screaming  every  half 
minute  in  a  manner  that  greatly  frightened  my 
horse,  and  filled  me  with  horror.  On  reaching  B — , 
I  found  my  landlord  drunk.  Retired  to  my  room, 
read  and  wrote  a  few  hours,  and  then  tried  for  a 
supperless  sleep.  22.  My  way  was  through  as 
dreary  a  region  of  country  as  I  ever  beheld,  with 
little  to  amuse,  except  an  abundance  of  great 
horse-flies,  lazy  husbands,  dirty  wives,  and  ragged 
children.  About  noon,  met  a  bevy  of  giggling, 
stockingless  girls  going  to  visit  a  show  that  was  to 
be  exhibited  on  the  road.  Dined  on  fat  middling 
and  fried  eggs,  and  passed  the  night  at  a  tavern 
where  I  was  annoyed  by  the  noise  and  vulgarity 
of  a  parcel  of  Irish  wagoners  —  half  beast  —  half 
devil,  from  whom  I  was  relieved  only  by  theii 
getting  too  drunk  to  continue  their  revel.  23. 
Rode  to  G — ,  to  breakfast  —  had  a  decent  repast, 
and  a  decent  landlad)^  to  look  upon  while  I  was 
eating  it.     The  country  began  to  improve  a  little, 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  207 

but  stiil  deplorably  poor  and  uninteresting.  Found 
a  poor  tavern  that  night ;  but  was  in  little  danger 
of  suffering  from  plethora,  as  I  had  numerous  bed 
fellows  who  took  blood  freely  without  consulting 
my  pulse.  24.  Had  a  breakfast  that  might 
have  substituted  an  emetic,  prepared  by  the  'goo^ 
wife/  who  might,  had  she  floated  down  the  Nile 
been  safe  from  molestation  by  alligators,  if  filtl 
would  frighten  them.  Dined  at  W — ,  and  in  the 
evening  reached  Erie,  and  here  I  found  excellent 
accommodations  at  the  hotel  of  my  friend,  Mr. 
McC.  25.  In  Erie.  26.  Visited  old  Fort  Presque 
isle,  and  other  objects  of  interest.  27.  Visited 
the  wrecks  of  Perry's  fleet,  and  the  British  vessels 

Queen  Charlotte,  and ,  and  brought  away 

pieces  of  wood  from  each.  28.  Started  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  McC,  to  a  camp  meeting  near  West- 
field,  N.  Y.,  and  arrived  the  same  evening.  29. 
Preached  to  a  large  crowd  with  apparent  success. 
30.  Sund;iy.  Preached  again  to  about  five  thousand 
hearers  with  encouraging  effect.  31.  Delivered 
an  address  on  colonization,  formed  a  society  of 
near  one  hundred  members,  and  collected  seventy 
dollars,  and  at  night  preached  again.  —  Deep  and 
universal  feeling.  September  1.  Was  sick,  but 
read  and  wrote  all  day.  2.  Spent  in  the  same 
way.  There  was  at  the  inn  at  which  I  tarried,  an 
old  lady  laboring  in  the  kitchen  for  her  daily 
bread,  with  whom  1  had  boarded  while  at  school 


208        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

She  was  then  independent  and  happy ;  but  drunk- 
enness made  her  husband  a  beast,  and  threw  her 
dependent  and  pennyless  on  the  world.  She  wept 
like  a  child  while  relating  the  story  of  her  wrongs 
and  sufferings. 

"  3.  Started  for  Buffalo,  rode  all  day  through  a 
forest  of  hemlock  and  pine,  which  is  yielding  to 
the  industry  of  a  company  of  New  England  emi- 
grants. 4.  Reached  Buffalo  late  in  the  evening. 
This  is  a  fine  showy  young  city,  with  a  population 
of  seven  thousand.  Many  things  interested  me 
until  ten  the  next  morning  —  the  lake,  the  har- 
bors, shipping,  steamers,  the  canal  with  its  legion 
of  boats,  with  all  the  excitement  and  bustle  of 
enterprise.  5.  For  the  first  time  in  my  life  1 
set  foot  on  British  soil,  having  crossed  at  Black 
Rock  into  Upper  Canada  on  my  way  to  the  Falls. 
At  my  right  hand  rolled  the  majestic  Niagara  with 
the  waters  of  Erie,  St.  Clair,  Huron,  Michigan  and 
Superior  on  their  eternal  tour  to  the  ocean, — on 
the  left  lay  a  finely  cultivated  country  until  I 
reached  Chippewa.  Here  I  dined,  and  surveyed 
the  famous  battle-ground,  —  the  scene  of  a  severe 
conflict  in  the  late  war  with  Great  Britain. 

"At  five  o'clock  in  the  evening  I  reached  the 
pavilion,  and  was  soon  at  the  table  rock  gazing  at 
the  most  magnificent  spectacle  that  ever  chained 
the  eye  of  a  beholder  —  a  world  of  water  rolling 
and  tumbling  in  thunder  and  foam.     As  I  gazed, 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  209 

I  felt  a  depthj  a  devotion,  an  unutterable  iiitensit}^ 
of  admiration,  that  after  two  hours  made  my  brain 
reel,  and  so  unstrung  my  nervous  system,  that  it 
was  with  difficulty  I  crawled  from  the  verge  of  the 
rock,  and  returned  to  the  pavilion,  —  where,  in 
the  portico  of  the  third  story,  in  full  view  of  the 
Falls,  I  returned  to  their  contemplation  by  moon- 
light, and  paced  the  colonade  in  wonder  and 
astonishment  until  mere  exhaustion  drove  me,  at 
twelve  o'clock,  to  my  room  to  seek  repose. 

"6th.  I  continued  my  exploration  of  the 
Falls  —  crossed  the  gulf  below,  and  from  the 
American  side,  and  from  Goat  Island,  still  gazed 
on  the  mighty  cataract  from  fifty  different  points 
of  view.  7th.  Ascended  the  spiral  stair  case  at 
Table  Rock' — a  flight  of  one  hundred  and  five 
steps,  and,  provided  with  a  guide,  ventured  as  far 
under  the  great  falling  sheet  of  water  as  ever 
human  being  had  dared  to  go.  Divesting  myself 
of  my  clothing,  and  belting  a  mantle  of  oil-cloth 
about  me,  I  penetrated  with  difficulty  and  danger, 
amid  thunder  and  foam  and  spray,  as  far  as 
Termination  Rock,  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  feet 
under  the  vast  falling  column,  and  then  pausing 
elevated  my  eyes  to  look  on  the  universe  of  water 
that  was  tumbling  over  me,  while  a  slip  of  the  foot 
must  have  precipitated  me  fifty  flithoms  into  the 
gulf  below,  where  the  angry  element  was  tossing 

and  heaving  with  infuriate  life  and  uproar.     Afcer 
14 


210  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

a  moment's  pause  I  commenced  my  retreat,  and 
effected  my  return  in  safety  —  thankful  to  God 
that  my  temerity  had  not  been  chastised  with 
instant  death.  The  remaining  part  of  the  day 
»vas  spent  in  a  farewell  survey  of  the  Falls  from 
the  various  points  I  had  visited  before.  When  I 
eturned  to  the  pavilion,  it  was  night,  and  having 
been  seldom  so  much  fatigued  in  my  life,  I  was 
glad  to  retire  to  rest. 

"8th.  Visited  Lundy's  Lane,  of  bloody  memory 
in  the  history  of  the  late  war;  and  when  it  was 
pointed  out,  curiosity  led  me  to  the  spot  where 
three  hundred  Americans,  dead  and  wounded, 
were  heaped  together  in  a  single  pile,  and  burnt 
as  a  hecatomb  offered  to  the  god  of  war.  I  shed 
an  involuntary  tear  to  the  memory  of  the  brave, 
and  in  my  heart  cursing  the  savage  science  of  war, 
proceeded  on  my  way  to  the  battle-ground  of  the 
Beaver-dams,  and  from  thence  on  the  tow-path  of 
the  Weiland  Canal,  wound  my  way  to  St.  Catharines. 
Here  I  met  my  aged  aunt,  whom  I  had  not  seen 
for  twenty-six  yeiirs,  with  mingled  emotions  of  joy 
•ind  regret.  9th.  Spent  with  my  aunt  in  talking 
over  the  scenes,  sufferings,  and  enjoyments  of  by- 
gone days.  In  the  evening  we  walked  to  the  Church 
of  England  burying-ground,  to  look  upon  the 
graves  of  the  deceased  part  of  her  family.  She  had 
survived  them  all,  save  one  son.  A  neat  stone 
tells  the  story  of  each  member  of  the  family. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  211 

*'  1 0th.  I  left  Upper  Canada  by  way  of  Queeus- 
town  for  Lewiston,  N.  Y.  Visited  the  battle- 
ground of  Queenstown  heights,  and  saw  Brock's 
monument.  Crossed  the  river,  passed  through 
Lewiston,  and  rode  four  miles  into  the  country 
to  spend   the  night  with  a  friend  from  Maryland, 

"  11th.  Reached  the  house  of  my  cousin  early, 
and  remained  until  after  dinner,  and  then  rode  to 
Baffilo.     12th.     Spent  in  Buffido. 

'^ISth.  Preached  at  eleven  in  the  Methodist 
church,  and  at  night  delivered  an  address  in  the 
Presbyterian  church,  and  took  a  collection. 

''  14th.  Spent  in  attempting  to  organize  a 
society,  but  finally  postponed  it  until  my  return. 
ISth.  Rode  to  Batavia  through  an  exceedingly 
handsome,  but  not  very  fertile  country. 

''16th.     Left    my   horse,  and   took   stage   for 

Canandaigua,  and   17th,  arrived  at  C ,  a 

very  handsome  village  at  the  head  of  the  lake  of 
the  same  name.  18th.  Remained  and  read. 
19.h.  Went  to  Geneva,  at  the  head  of  Geneva 
lake.  20th.  Sunday.  It  rained  all  day.  I 
modestly  sought  an  opportunity  to  preach,  but 
received  no  invitation,  so  I  rested  and  heard  two 
sermons  at  the  P church- — good  but  feeble. 

"  21st.  Exerted  myself  in  trying  to  excite  an 
interest  in  my  mission,  but  met  with  great  diffi- 
culty and  discouragement,  as  I  have  in  every 
place  in  New  York.     The  people  in  this  region,  I 


212  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

think,  are  less  liberal  th  m  in  the  west  and  south. 
22d.  At  night  went  to  hear  a  lecture  by  Rev. 
Mr.  D —  a  common  sense  talk  without  anima- 
tion. Spent  half  the  night  in  reading  works  on 
Africa.  23d.  At  night  had  an  appointment  for 
an  address,  but  as  there  were  several  conflicting 
appointments,  I  adjourned  mine  to  the  next  night, 
when  I  formed  a  society  of  twenty-five  and  took 
up  a  small  collection,  which  under  the  circumstances 
I  regarded  rather  as  a  triumph.  25ih.  Went  to 
Canandaigua,  but  as  the  Presbyterians  refused  me 
the  church,  I  left  for  Rochester  on  the  26th.  The 
blue  stocking  parson  at  the  former  place  treated 
me  with  boorish  incivility.  I  had  no  sooner 
announced  myself  a  Methodist  preacher,  than  he 
bristled  almost  into  a  swine,  and  grunted  his 
negative  most  becomingly.  I  promptly  left  him, 
hating  bigotry  more  implacably  than  ever  before. 

"At  Rochester  I  was  received  with  every 
demonstration  of  welcome  by  Rev.  Mr.  L.,  who 
speedily  opened  the  way  for  the  accomplishment 
of  the  object  of  my  mission.  27th.  Sunday.  At 
eleven  preached  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  at  two 
in  the  Methodist,  and  at  night  addressed  an  over- 
whelming crowd,  who  received  my  message  with 
audible  murmurs  of  approbation.  28th.  Tried 
Batavia  again  —  but  in  vain,  and  left  for  Buffalo. 

That  night  went  to  hear  a  B preacher.     It 

was  anything  but  preaching,  yet  the  man  appeared 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  213 

sincere  in  bis'  ignorance,  and  I  truly  pitied  him. 
After  preaching,  several  old  Methodists  present 
spoke  as  in  class  meeting,  and  I  was  much  gratified 
ill  listening  to  the  unaffected  effusions  of  seven  or 
eight  who  spoke. 

'^29th.  Rode  to  Buffalo,  and  wrote  letters  till 
ten  o'clock  at  night. 

^^  30th  Wrote  nearly  all  day  —  weather  bad, 
and  prospect  for  meeting  to-night  gloomy.  1 
am  now  retreating  from  western  New  York,  and  do 
not  regret  it,  for  though  appearances  are  fine,  it  is, 
oil  the  score  of  solid  comfort,  cordial  welcome,  and 
generous  hospitality  the  least  attractive  region  1 
ever  visited.  Even  the  table  accommodations  are 
the  most  inferior  I  have  ever  found  among  people 
in  tolerable  circumstances:  —  Sheep  steaks,  mutton 
chops,  bad  beef,  stale  cheese,  inferior  beds,  fireless 
rooms,  bustle  without  attendance,  and  finally  a 
heavy  bill  for  what  you  cannot  get  there,  is  the 
usual  round. 

"At  night  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  society,  but 
got  no  money,  and  am  almost  tempted  to  vow 
nazaritically  that  I  will  not  make  another  attempt 
in  western  New  York. 

"October  1.  Started  westward,  along  the 
beach  of  Lake  Erie,  facing  a  sharp  wind.  Met  with 
a  group  of  Indians,  and  when  I  addressed  them  in 
the  Seneca  language,  their  surprise  was  really 
amusing.     At  the  inn  where  I  tarried  that  night  I 


214  LIIE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

met  with  a  minister  from  one  of  the  rhiddle  districts 
of  Old  Scotia,  with  whom  I  was  not  a  little  amused. 
He  said  the  people  of  this  country  were  only  fit  to 
be  preached  to  by  Methodist  preachers  —  that 
when  he  did  preach,  they  would  not  pay  him,  and 
that  preaching  without  pay  w^as  a  great  farce. 
The  broad  gutterel,  and  occasionally  sharp  nasal 
twang  of  this  redoubtable  son  of  the  Kirk,  together 
with  his  clownish  manners,  carrotty  poll,  and  ill 
built  frame,  were  strikingly  unique.  He  said  he 
had  never  been  in  the  company  of  a  Methodist 
preacher  —  that  he  had  seen  one,  but  that  he  felt 
contempt  for  his  shabby  appearance.  I  informed 
him  that  I  was  one ;  on  which  he  hastily  withdrew 
and  went  to  bed.  I  learnt  that  he  was  proposing 
to  teach  school  for  fifteen  dollars  per  month. 

*^2nd,  Rode,  and  3rd,  arrived  at  Erie  to  breakfist. 

"Sunday,  4.  At  eleven  o'clock  heard  Rev. 
Mr.  L.,  Presbyterian,  and  communed  with  the 
congregation.  At  two  o'clock  preached  in  the 
Presbyterian  church  to  a  large  audience,  and  at 
night  delivered  an  address,  and  took  a  collection. 

"5th.  Rode,  and  6th  reached  Meadville,  and 
met  with  marked  attention,  and  genuine  hospitality 
from  several  of  the  principal  citizens. 

"7th.  Rode  to  Franklin  —  on  the  evening  of 
the  8th  preached,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  9th 
delivered  an  address  on  colonization,  took  a  collec- 
tion, and  returned  to  Meadville.     Stopped  an  houi 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  215 

at  the  house  of  widow  P.  and  prayed  with  the 
family.     10th,  spent  in  Meadville. 

*' Sunday,  11th.  At  eleven  o'clock  preached  at 
Presbyterian  church,  and  at  half  past  two,  plead 
the  cause  of  Africa  before  about  one  thousand 
hearers,  and  took  a  collection  of  fifty-six  dollars. 

"  12th.  Rode  to  Mercer,  had  a  great  crowd  at 
night,  and  a  good  collection. 

"13th.  Rode  to  Butler  —  a  large  audience  — 
was  disturbed  by  some  drunkards.  Light  collection. 

"  14th.  Reached  Pittsburg  and  remained  two 
days. 

"17th.  Went  to  Steubenville,  18th  preached, 
19th,  went  to  Wheeling,  Va. 

"20th.  In  Wheeling.  21st.  An  address  in  the 
Episcopal  church  to  about  one  thousand.  Collection 
one  hundred  and  forty-five  dollars.  22nd.  Steuben- 
benville.  Address,  and  collection  thirty-three 
dollars. 

"23rd.  Mt.  Pleasant- — Address  and  colljction 
fifty-one  dollars.  24th.  St.  Clairsville,  collection 
twenty-one  dollars.  25th,  Washington,  Pa.,  collec- 
tion thirty-five  dollars.    26th  to  29th,  in  Pittsburg. 

"30st.  Rode  to  Williamsport  and  delivered 
an  address.     31st.    Shall  go  to  Belleville. 

"November  1.  Brownsville,  and,  God  willing, 
home — to  Uniontown — the  same  evening! 

No  other  portion  of  his  public  labors  called 
f  rth  so  niiivcrsally  the  bi,i;h  eulogies  of  the   pK^.^s 


216  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

and  the  multitude,  as  those  devoted  to  the  coloni- 
zation cause.  He  traveled  in  this  service  through 
a  large  proportion  of  the  states  of  the  Union,  and 
from  each  of  these,  I  find  the  most  complimentary 
notices  of  his  addresses.  These  we  shall  not 
think  of  copying,  for  they  would  occupy  no 
inconsiderable  space  in  this  volume  ;  but  a  few  we 
cannot  well  pass  over.  We  particularly  notice  the 
attempts  of  two  able  editors  to  catch  his  leading 
thoughts,  and  note  down  his  most  striking  expres- 
sions. They  belonged  to  cities  many  hundred 
miles  distant  from  each  other,  and  wrote  at  differ- 
ent dates.  The  train  of  thought  in  the  speaker's 
introductory  remarks,  appears  to  have  been  very 
much  the  same  in  both  the  cases  reported,  and  il 
is  worthy  of  note,  that  both  these  editors  —  so 
well  versed  in  the  art  of  reporting  public  speeches 
for  publication — succeeded  tolerably,  only,  in  fol- 
lowing the  speaker  through  his  introduction,' — 
but  when  he  entered  fully  into  his  subject,  and  his 
eloquence  came  pouring  upon  them  in  a  very 
cataract,  pencil  and  note  book  were  dropped,  and 
they  abandoned  the  fruitless  attempt  to  paint  his 
lightning  and  put  his  thunder  into  words. 

The  first  says  —  "  On  Sunday  evening  last,  the 
Rev.  li.  B.  Bascom  made  an  eloquent  appeal  in 
the  Murray  street  church,  in  this  city,  before  the 
Young  Men's  Colonization  Society. 

" ' To  the  antiquarian,  and  the  historian,  ancient 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  217 

Africa  is  a  subject  of  inexhaustible  interest 
However  inclined  some  skeptics  may  be  to  dispute 
the  fact,  the  country  of  the  Pharaohs  was  undoubt- 
edly the  parent  of  art  and  of  science,  and  the 
great  luminary  of  the  ancient  world.  At  a  period 
when  the  soil  of  Greece,  and  Italy  were  covered 
with  primeval  forests,  affording  shelter  only  to 
wild  beasts,  or  to  a  few  roving  barbarians  hardly 
less  ferocious,  the  valley  of  the  Nile  was  occupied 
by  a  people,  who  had  already  built  temples  in  honor 
to  their  gods,  and  reared  columns  to  commemorate 
their  kings.  Nor  does  this  high  antiquity  rest 
merely  on  doubtful  chronologies,  or  on  vague 
antiquarian  speculation.  On  the  contrary,  it  is 
demonstrated  by  facts  about  which  there  neither 
is,  nor  can  be,  any  controversy. 

" '  So  early  as  the  days  of  Moses,  Egypt  had 
become  pre-eminent  in  laws,  learning,  and  art,  as 
well  as  in  political  power.  Even  in  that  remote 
age,  the  "learning  and  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians" 
had  become  proverbial.  In  after  times,  Thales, 
Pythagoras,  Plato,  and  others,  all  acquired  in 
Egypt,  the  elements  of  that  science  which  they 
afterward  taught  with  such  success  to  their  coun- 
trymen, and  even  the  rudiments  of  Grecian  art, 
the  originals  of  those  beautiful  forms,  which  the 
fine  genius  of  the  Greeks  improving  upon,  raised 
to  an  almost  ideal  perfection,  may  be  distinctly 
traced  to  the  banks  of  the  Nile. 
10 


218  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

" '  Egypt,  which  was  settled  by  Mizraim,  the  son 
of  Ham,  was  once  the  most  opulent  and  important 
empire  in  the  world.  She  had  at  one  time,  her 
forty-five  petty  kingdoms,  and  her  twenty  thousand 
cities;  and  in  the  reign  of  Asa,  king  of  Judah, 
Ethiopia  alone  could  send  an  army  of  one  million 
into  the  field. 

«<  Degraded  as  the  Africans  now  are,  it  will) 
perhaps,  scarcely  be  believed  that  this  contemned 
race,  as  to  intellect,  can  exhibit  a  brighter  ancestry 
than  our  own.  They  are  the  oflshoots,  wild  and 
untrained,  it  is  true,  but  still  they  are  the  offshoots 
of  a  stem  once  proudly  luxuriant  in  the  fruits  of 
various  learning  and  taste.  They  are  the  offspring 
of  Gush,  Mizraim,  and  Phut.  They  found  Egypt 
a  morass,  and  converted  it  into  the  most  fertile 
country  of  the  world.-  They  reared  its  pyramids, 
invented  its  hieroglyphics,  gave  letters  to  Greece 
and  Rome,  and  through  them  to  us.  The  ever- 
lasting architecture  of  Africa  still  exists  the 
wonder  of  the  world,  though  in  ruins.  Hei 
mighty  ones  have  yet  their  record  in  history. 
She  has  poured  forth  her  heroes  on  the  field 
She  has  given  bishops  to  the  church,  and  martyrs 
to  the  flames.  And  for  negro  physiognomy,  as  if 
that  could  shut  out  the  light  of  intellect,  let  us  go 
to  the  capital  of  the  British  empire,  and  in  their 
national  museum  contemplate  the  collossal  head 
of  Memnon,  and  behold,  in  imperishable  porphyry 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  219 

and  granite,  the  unfounded  and  pitiful  slander 
publically  refuted. 

" '  But  Africa  has  been  degraded,  insulted,  and 
wronged,  for  many  centuries.  She  has  been 
robbed  of  her  children  to  an  immeasurable  extent. 
What  wind  has  passed  over  her  plains  without 
catching  up  the  sighs  of  broken  and  bleeding 
hearts  ?  Which  of  the  sands  of  her  deserts  has 
not  been  steeped  in  tears,  wrung  out  by  the  pang 
of  separation  from  kindred  and  country  ?  And 
the  "cup  of  trembling"  has  been  put  to  her  lips 
again  and  again,  even  by  baptized  hands.'  " 

After  giving  this  as  an  imperfect  quotation,  in 
the  following  paragraph  he  concedes,  that  the 
more  "  powerful"  part  was  that  which  he  has  not 
attempted  to  report  at  all.     He  says  : 

"  In  some  such  observations  as  the  above,  did 
Mr.  B.  prepare  the  way  for  a  more  powerful  appeal 
to  the  hearts  of  his  audience  on  the  subject  of  the 
Colonization  Society;  and  after  an  ample  detail 
of  its  operations,  and  a  course  of  argument  fraught 
with  much  skill,  enriched  with  powerful  eloquence, 
and  managed  with  uncommon  address,  the  preacher 
brought  his  subject  to  a  close,  and  his  audience  to 
the  point  in  hand,  the  result  of  which  was  a  very 
handsome  collection,  amounting  to  about  two  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  dollars." 

The  other  first  gives  a  vague  outline  of  the 
address —  perhaps    as    an    allowable    stroke    of 


220  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

policy  —  and  quotes  what  he   had  been  able  tc 
note  down  of  the  introduction,  as  follows : 

"  After  the  report  of  this  committee  and  the 
election  of  officers,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bascom,  agent 
of  the  American  Colonization  Society,  addressed 
the  meeting  for  more  than  two  hours,  in  behalf 
of  the  society.  In  discussing  the  subject  and 
presenting  his  plea  for  colonizing  our  free  people 
of  color,  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  he  pre- 
sented strong  arguments  in  language  equally 
strong  and  expressive.  He  urged  his  plea  for 
African  colonization,  on  the  grounds  of  justice^,  of 
practicability,  of  political  consistency,  of  obligation 
and  gratitude,  of  the  predictions  of  the  scriptures 
in  regard  to  Africa,  and  of  the  final  retributions 
of  eternity. 

"  The  picture  which  he  presented  of  what 
Africa  once  was,  and  of  what  she  now  is,  and  the 
causes  of  her  present  degradation,  struck  every 
mind  with  admiration,  and  made  every  heart  thrill 
with  pity  and  indignation.  'Once,'  said  he, 
"Africa  stood  proud  in  learning,  arts,  and  arms. 
Her  pyramids,  obelisks,  and  the  granite  pillars  of 
her  rained  cities,  stand  in  gloomy  magnificence, 
monuments  of  her  architectural  skill.  She  fur- 
nished her  heroes  for  the  field  of  battle,  and  her 
bishops  for  the  church  of  God.  To  learning  and 
religion  she  had  ably  contributed.  But  why 
wonder  at  her  present  <iepression,  rifled  as  she  has 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  221 

been  of  her  blood  and  treasure  by  every  Christian 
nation.  To  the  shrine  of  European  cupidity,  it 
is  computed  that  one  hundred  and  ninety  millions 
of  her  inhabitants  have  been  sacrificed.  To  every 
nation.  Christian  and  infidel,  she  has  in  vain  raised 
her  cry  of  supplication.  In  reply,  she  receives 
only  an  additional  weight  of  chains.  Every  gale 
that  blows  over  her,  catches  the  sound  of  her 
groans,  and  almost  every  foot  of  her  soil  is 
stained  and  wet  with  her  blood,  shed  by  Christian 
steel.' 

"  He  showed,  with  much  clearness  and  force, 
that  the  suppression  of  the  slave  tnde,  and  the 
redemption  of  Africi  from  her  present  political 
and  religious  degradation  and  suffering,  is  to  be 
effected  only  by  colonization.  In  this  way,  civi- 
lization and  Christianity  were  introduced  into 
Greece,  Europe,  and  America.  We  cannot  do 
justice  to  Mr.  Bascom's  speech  by  attempting  a 
sketch  of  it.  For  more  than  two  hours,  he  held 
his  audience  in  rapt  and  unwearied  attention." 

We  recollect  instances  in  which  one  of  Mr. 
B.iscom's  addresses,  delivered  in  small  villages  — 
mere  hamlets  —  brought  collections  of  from  three 
hundred  to  four  hundred  dollars. 

Mr.  Bascom  was  not,  while  engaged  in  the 
duties  of  his  agency,  neglectful  of  the  great 
business  of  preaching  the  gospel  of  Christ;  for 
in  almost  every  place  where  he  delivered  addressevS, 


222  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

and  especially  where  he  spent  a  Sabbath,  he 
preached  to  multitudes,  and  with  great  power  and 
effect. 

On  one  of  these  occasions,  he  visited  a  town  on 
the  Ohio  river,  and  preached  to  a  large  audience, 
in  which  was  one  hearer,  at  least,  who  appears  to 
have  been  quite  as  much  enraptured  with  the 
sermon,  as  was  Mr.  Wirt  with  that  of  James 
Waddle,  the  blind  preacher.  The  following 
glowing  description  of  the  preacher  and  sermon 
he  published  in  a  New  York  city  paper : 

"It  was  a  day  of  exceeding  beauty,  that  last 
Sunday  in  May,  1832  —  a  day  of  soft  balmy  air, 
and  sunshine  bright  and  glorious  as  the  smile  of 
God.  Before  ten  o'clock,  every  pew  and  every 
seat  in  the  spacious  church  was  filled  to  overflow- 
ing. The  whole  population  of  Lawrenceburg,  a 
lovely  little  town  on  the  Ohio  river,  in  Indiana, 
appeared  to  have  turned  out  to  hear  '  the  great 
orator,'  whose  fame  had  traveled  in  advance  of 
his  coming.  It  was  his  first  visit  to  that  State, 
and  hence  the  general  anxiety  to  witness  his  effoH. 
All  eyes  were  turned  to  the  door,  and  (as  the 
winged  minutes  flew  away)  with  many  signs  of 
disappointment,  as  no  one  entered  to  answer  the 
very  circumstantial  description  of  his  person, 
which  had  the  previous  day  been  published  in  the 
papers. 

"The  hour  of    eleven  arrived,  and    the  well- 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  22-!^ 

known  parson  of  the  station  began  the  devotional 
exercises  by  singing  and  prayer.  At  this,  the 
tokens  of  vexation  increased  with  all,  and  with  a 
portion  of  the  audience,  so  far  as  to  amount  to 
positive  rudeness. 

"  At  length,  the  prayer  was  ended,  when  a 
form,  hitherto  concealed  by  the  mahogany  front 
of  the  pulpit,  suddenly  emerged  from  behind  it, 
and  stood  for  more  than  two  minutes  erect,  silent, 
and  motionless  as  a  statue.  At  this  apparition, 
every  individual  in  the  immense  throng  started, 
and  every  heart  thrilled  with  a  nameless  emotion ; 
it  so  struck  the  senses,  and  there  was  so  much 
eloquence  in  his  attitude,  his  immobility,  nay,  in 
his  ver}^  silence. 

"His  figure  was  of  perfect  symmetry;  his 
features  of  classic  mould ;  his  brow  pure  Grecian 
in  its  outlines,  and  surrounded  with  a  fine  circle  of 
jet  black  hair.  His  countenance  seemed  intensely 
intellectual,  without  the  slightest  perceptible  trace 
of  animal  passion ;  but  his  eyes,  at  the  moment, 
were  dreamy,  expressionless,  and  set  on  empty 
space,  as  if  he  were  totally  unconscious  of  any 
presence  other  than  the  ideal  of  his  own  deep 
thoughts ;  his  dress  was  of  the  richest  cloth,  and 
made  in  the  latest  fashion. 

"Presently  he  raised  his  right  hand  with  a 
gesture  of  impetuous  haste,  and  pressed  his  fingers 
on  his  pale  forehead,  as  if  to  assist  the  brain  in  its 


224  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

mighty  labors  of  thought,  and  then  instantly 
announced  his  text  from  the  book  of  Revelations 
^  Behold !  I  make  all  things  new/  Without 
preface  or  apology  —  those  flimsy  crutches  of 
lame  preachers  —  he  pierced  at  once  into  the 
heart  of  his  subject,  and  then  took  wings  and  rode 
away  on  a  whirlwind  of  fiery  words.  His  voice; 
from  the  commencement,  rolled,  and  pealed,  and 
rang  like  the  beautifully  modulated  music  of  some 
wondrous  organ,  alternating  with  crashes  of  tre- 
mendous power  that  seemed  to  jar  the  walls  of 
the  building  as  if  an  avalanche  were  rushing  out 
of  the  clouds.  Now  it  sunk  into  a  wild  wail, 
mellow  and  plaintive  as  a  funeral  chime  ;  again  it 
swelled  to  the  steady  roar  of  a  hurricane,  if  a 
hurricane  indeed  could  be  attuned  to  such  octaves 
of  harmony;  and  then  it  would  break  out  in 
successive  thunder-claps,  causing  the  very  hair  to 
rise  on  the  hearer's  head,  and  the  warm  marrow  to 
creep,  as  it  were,  in  his  bones.  The  effect  was 
aided,  too,  by  the  orator's  gesticulation  —  now 
graceful  as  the  airy  circles  of  a  butterfly  in  the  air, 
and  anon,  grand  to  sublimity,  and  urgent  as  the 
swoop  of  the  eagle  climbing  the  heights  of  the 
storm  cloud.  His  eye  —  at  the  outset,  as  we  have 
said,  dim  and  dreary  —  now  burned,  and  flashed, 
and  lightened,  till  aided  by  the  illusions  of  fancy 
and  the  scene,  it  appeared  to  dart  arrows  of  flame 
around  the  assembly. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  225 

"  As  the  mighty  magician  went  on,  the  entire 
multitude  seemed  charged  with  electricity.  Heie 
and  there  single  individuals  began  to  rise  involun- 
tarily to  their  feet ;  then  others  rose  by  twos  and 
threes;  next  a  dozen  sprang  up  together;  and 
finally,  the  whole,  living,  throbbing,  enthusiastic 
mass  might  be  seen  standing  as  one  man,  with 
fixed,  straining  eyeballs,  devouring  the  speaker 
with  a  gaze,  with  half-parted  lips,  and  teeth  clenched 
by  attention.  The  excitement  was  measureless, 
and  yet  too  profound  for  any  species  of  utterance. 
Not  a  sigh,  not  a  whisper  was  heard.  Nothing 
could  be  heard  save  the  voice  of  the  orator;  and 
during  the  intervals  of  his  pauses  the  fall  of  a 
pin  would  have  been  audible. 

"  His  subject,  too,  was  unique  as  his  manner. 
His  theme  was  :  '  The  future  eternity  of  matter ; 
its  natural  capacity  for  indefinite  and  glorious 
changes;  and  the  possible  splendor  of  the  7iew 
heavens  and  earth.'  His  method  of  discussion  was 
purely  rational  and  scientific  —  that  is  to  say,  by 
analysis.  A  few  of  his  inimitable  touches  linger 
in  my  memory  to  the  present  hour.  He  inferred 
the  beauty  of  which  all,  even  the  coarsest,  matter 
is  capable,  from  the  following  illustration : 

"  'Chemistry,  with  its  fire-tongue  of  the  galvanic 
battery,  teaches  that  the  starry  diamond  in  the 
crown  of  kings,  and  the  black  carbon  which  the 
peasant  treads  beneath  his  feet,  are  both  composod 

15 


226  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

of  the  same  identical  elements;  analysis  also 
proves  that  a  chief  ingredient  in  limestone  is 
carbon.  Then  let  the  burning  breath  of  God  pass 
over  all  the  limestone  of  earth,  and  bid  its  old 
mossy  layers  cryst;dize  into  new  beauty ;  and  lo ! 
at  the  almighty  fiat  the  mountain  ranges  flash  into 
living  gems  with  a  lustre  that  renders  midnight 
noon,  and  eclipses  all  the  stars  I ' 

"  He  urged  the  same  view  by  another  example 
still  better  adapted  to  popular  apprehension. 

"^Look  yonder,'  said  the  impassioned  orator, 
pointing  a  motionless  finger  towards  the  lofty 
ceiling,  as  if  it  were  the  sky ;  'see  that  wrathful 
thunder-cloud  —  the  fiery  bed  of  the  lightnings  and 
hissing  hail  —  the  cradle  of  tempests  and  floods! 
What  can  be  more  dark,  more  dreary,  more  dread- 
ful ?  Say,  scoffing  sceptic,  is  it  capable  of  any 
beauty  ?  You  pronounce,  '  no.'  Well,  very  well, 
but  behold,  while  the  sneering  denial  curls  your 
proud  lips,  the  sun  with  his  sword  of  light  shears 
through  the  sea  of  vapors  in  the  West,  and  laughs 
in  your  incredulous  face  with  his  fine  golden  eye. 
Now,  look  again  at  the  thunder-cloud !  See 
where  it  was  blackest  and  fullest  of  gloom,  the 
sun-beams  have  kissed  its  hideous  cheek;  and 
where  the  kiss  fell  there  is  now  a  blush,  brighter 
than  ever  mantled  on  the  brow  of  mortal  maiden 
—  the  rich  blush  of  crimson  and  gold,  of  purple 
and  vermilion  —  a  pictured  blush,  fit  for  the  gaze 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  227 

of  angels  —  the  flo\Yer-work  of  pencils  of  fire  and 
light,  wrought  at  a  dash  by  one  stroke  of  the  right 
hand  of  God!  Ay,  the  ugly  cloud  hath  given 
birth  to  the  rainbow,  that  perfection  and  symbol 
of  unspeakable  beauty ! 

"  It  is  impossible  to  paint  the  effects  of  such 
sunbursts  of  eloquence,  delivered  in  his  peculiar 
voice  and  manner.  For  my  own  part,  I  expe- 
rienced emotions  of  sublimity  and  admiration, 
commingled  with  mysterious  awe.  I  gazed  and 
shuddered,  as  if  looking  into  the  heart  of  a  volcano, 
or  listening  to  the  mutterings  of  an  earthquake. 
Who  dares  call  this  comparison  a  hyperbole  ?  — 
Hath  the  grandest  elements  of  nature  any  mani- 
festation of  power  superior  to  the  lofty  action 
of  intellect  inflamed  by  the  friction  of  a  winged 
imagination?  " 

Somewhere  about  this  time  he  encountered  an 
accident,  which  came  near  to  costing  him  his  life. 
He  was  going  up  the  Ohio  river;  but  the  water 
was  so  low,  that  at  Marietta  he  had  to  leave  the 
boat  and  take  the  mail  coach  for  Wheeling.  On 
some  portions  of  the  way,  the  road  was  terraced 
into  the  high  river  hills,  and  lay  at  an  elevation 
of  a  hundred  feet  or  more  above  the  valley.  At 
one  of  those  dangerous  passes,  where  the  head 
grew  dizzy  in  looking  down  on  the  river  far 
beneath,  —  the  descent  ver}^  precipitous,  and  the 
road  naiTow,  the  coach  came  upon  a  short  curve 


228  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

which  it  was  difficult  to  pass  with  safety ;  just  as 
the  driver  had  brought  his  "  lead  horses  "  as  close 
into  the  hill  as  possible,  to  carry  the  coach  clear 
of  the  chasm  at  the  curve,  the  horses  took  fright 
and  dashing  furiously  to  the  opposite  side,  plunged 
headlong  over  the  precipice,  carrying  coach,  driver, 
and  passengers  with  them.  Down,  down,  they 
went  through  the  air  and  tree  tops,  until  the 
coach  came  to  the  ground  in  a  upright  position, 
on  a  sort  of  natural  bench  of  the  hill ;  the  wheels 
were  broken  to  pieces,  and  flew  off  in  different 
directions ;  the  coach  bed  crushed,  the  passengers 
stunned  to  insensibility,  the  wheel  horses  killed, 
the  driver  thrown  with  violence  from  his  box,  and 
dragged  by  the  leaders  —  the  reins  being  wr.ipped 
around  his  hand  —  down  the  hill,  and  far  into  the 
river,  where  he  came  near  drowning.  The  coach, 
divested  of  its  wheels,  rolled  on  over  and  over 
until  stopped  by  some  obstruction,  and  was  re- 
duced to  a  complete  wreck.  Bascom  was,  I  think, 
first  restored  to  consciousness ;  he  was  much  cut 
and  bruised,  but  none  of  his  wounds  were  danger- 
ous. Some  others  revived  in  a  similar  condition ; 
two  passengers  —  one  a  lady  —  were  for  a  time 
supposed  to  be  dead;  but  soon  showing  signs  of 
remaining  life,  Bascom  and  his  fellow  passengers 
set  about  rendering  such  assistance  as  they  could 
to  the  greater  sufferers.  One  drew  the  insensible 
lady  and  gentleman  from  the  wreck,  another  went 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  229 

to  relieve  the  poor  driver,  who,  after  having  beec 
dragged  over  the  rocks,  was  now  standing  in 
water  to  his  neck,  and  unable  to  free  himself 
from  the  reins,  while  Bascom  ran  to  the  river 
and  brought  water  in  his  hat  to  revive  the  yet 
insensible  sufferers. 

All  were  injured,  but  all  recovered;  most  of 
them  were  able  to  proceed  on  their  journey  the 
next  day.  But  the  wonder  is,  that  any  should 
have  escaped  death. 


CHAPTEK  XVII. 

Mr  Bascom  elected  Professor  of  Moral  Science  and  Belles-Lettres  it 
Augusta  College  —  Still  devotes  a  portion  of  his  Time  to  the 
Agency — Transferred  to  Kentucky  Conference,  and  Election  to 
General  Conference  of  1832  —  Made  Chairman  of  Committee  on 
Temperance  —  Produces  a  Report  of  Great  Power  —  Concluding 
Passage  of  it  given  —  A  Peculiarity  in  Bascom's  mind  noticed  — 
Attempts  to  account  for  it  —  Affliction  and  Death  of  his  Father  — 
Descriptive  Account  of  that  event — Bascom's  own  Account  of  it 
as  given  to  Mr.  Bruce. 

In  1832,  Mr.  Bascom  was  elected  professor  of 
Moral  Science  and  Belles-lettres  in  Augusta  College. 
But  as  the  duties  of  his  chair  in  college  did  not 
demand  the  appropriation  of  all  his  time,  he  still 
retained  his  office  of  Agent,  devoting  to  it  what 
time  he  could  spare  from  college  duties. 

This  year  Mr.  Bascom  was  again  elected  a 
delegate  to  the  General  Conference,  from  the 
Kentucky  annual  conference,  although  he  had 
but  just  been  transferred  from  the  Pittsburg 
conference.  This  was  a  gratifying  expression  of 
confidence  on  the  part  of  his  Kentucky  brethren, 
among  whom,  in  former  years,  he  had  encountered 
no  little  opposition. 

We  see  here,  that  notwithstanding  his  recent 
connection  with  what  was  tailed  the  radical  move- 
ment, his  acknowledged  talents  and  integrity, 
secured  to  him  the  confidence  of  his  brethren  so 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.        231 

strongly,  that  —  though  generally  much  opposed 
to  that  movement' — they  elected  him,  at  the 
very  session  at  which  he  became  a  member  of  their 
body,  to  be  their  representative  in  the  highest 
judicatory  of  the  church.  And  the  like  confi- 
dence was  manifested  by  the  General  Conference ; 
for  we  find  him  placed  on  the  committee  on 
temperance,  and  charged  with  the  responsibility 
of  preparing  the  report  of  that  committee.  The 
church  had  had  a  stringent  rule  on  this  subject 
from  the  beginning,  but  General  Conference  action 
on  the  subject,  with  a  view  to  operate  on  public 
opinion,  and  enlist  the  active  co-operation  of  the 
ministry  and  membership  of  the  church  in  an  effort 
to  check  this  swelling  tide  of  ruin,  was  a  new 
proceeding,  and  required  to  be  committed  to  the 
custody  of  faithful  and  skillful  hands.  The  trust 
was  happily  confided  to  Mr.  Bascom,  who  produced 
a  report,  which  the  venerable  Dr.  Bangs  has 
thought  sufficiently  important,  to  make  a  part  of 
the  history  of  the  church,  and  has  accordingly 
incorporated  it  in  her  annals. 

This  report  we  cannot  find  room  for  at  length, 
but  must  at  least  be  allowed  to  introduce  its  final 
paragraph,  which  reads  as  follows  :  — 

"Finally,  persuaded,  as  we  are,  that  intemperance, 
in  all  its  aspects  and  gradations,  is  a  physical  evil, 
unmitigated  by  any  mixture  of  good,  and  also  a 
moral  offence  again'^t  the  laws  of  God,  and  the 


232        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

claims  of  Christian  piety,  unmodified  by  any 
indemnifying  consideration  whatever,  we  would 
at  all  times,  but  at  this  time  especially,  when  such 
combined  and  powerful  efforts  are  making  to  arrest 
the  evil,  cast  in  our  dividend  of  social  and  moral 
aid,  and  do  all  in  our  power  to  accomplish  an  object 
every  way  as  momentous  as  it  is  desirable.  And 
we  close  by  rem: irking,  that  we  look  upon  all  as 
implicated  in  the  duty  and  the  interest,  and  we  shall 
cheerfully  and  promptly  concur  with  all  in  an  effort 
to  expel  the  demon  of  intemperance,  not  only  from 
the  church,  but  from  the  nation,  whose  welfare  and 
fortune  must  be  always  in  intimate  connection 
with  its  morcds." 

We  may  here  notice  a  peculiarity  in  the  character 
of  Mr.  Bascom's  mind  and  habits.  In  deliberative 
bodies  we  expect  to  find  men  of  the  most  com- 
manding eloquence  occupying  the  floor  as  speakers 
much  more  than  those  less  gifted  in  that  way ;  and 
we  often  find  men  who  speak  much  and  ably  in 
such  assemblies,  of  little  service  in  the  closet  or 
committee  room  in  preparing  business  for  the  action 
of  the  body,  while  it  is  very  common  to  find  men 
of  superior  abilities  in  the  latter  sphere,  who  have 
not  the  ability  to  advocate,  in  public  speeches, 
the  me;isures  their  wisdom  h.as  brought  to  a  high 
degree  of  perfection  in  their  private  labors.  But  in 
the  instance  of  Mr.  Bascom  we  have  a  man  who 
in  eloquence  was  pre-eminently    superior    to    his 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  Zod 

brethren,  and  yet  that  eloquence  was  never 
employed  in  conference,  even  in  support  of  favorite 
measures  which  he  had  matured  and  mastered 
thoroughly  in  the  closet  or  the  committee  room.  I 
think  he  never  in  his  whole  life  made  a  single  speech 
in  an  Annual  or  General  Conference  often  minutes 
duration.  A  single  suggestion,  a  correction,  or  the 
like,  he  would  occasionally  make  in  few  words,  but 
nothing  more.  Indeed,  few  men  in  Annual  or 
General  Conference  had  so  little  to  ^ay  on  the 
floor  as  he,  and  yet  his  reports,  and  even  senten- 
tious suggestions  had  almost  the  weight  and 
authority  of  law. 

Frequent  attempts  have  been  made  to  account 
for  this  peculiarity,  and  generally  with  but  little 
success.  Some  have  conjectured  that  his  public 
addresses  of  every  kind  were  carefully  written  out, 
and  either  read  or  delivered  from  memory,  and 
that  he  was  not  willing  to  trust  his  reputation  to 
the  hazards  of  extemporaneous  debate.  This  is 
entirely  erroneous ;  for  he  had  reached  the  zenith 
of  his  f  ime  as  an  orator  before  he  had  delivered  a 
single  public  address  either  from  manuscript  or  from 
memory :  these  auxiliaries,  or  rather  hindrances, 
were  fallen  on  only  after  he  had  passed  his  culmi- 
nation: others  have  supposed  that,  conscious  of  hk 
great  influence,  he  was  unwilling  to  employ  the 
power  with  which  he  was  gifted  to  bring  others  to 
his  views,  lest  he   might  incur  the  responsibility 


234  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

of  misleading  those  who  confided  so  trustingly  to 
his  superior  wisdom.  But  he  possessed  neither 
the  unreasonable  scrupulousness,  nor  the  inordinate 
vanity  which  this  view  of  the  case  must  impute 
jO  him.  The  truth  is  that  diffidence  was  the  real 
cause  of  his  refraining  as  he  did  from  participating 
in  the  ordinary  debates  of  the  bodies  to  which  he 
belonged.  True,  he  was  opposed  to  speech  making 
on  trivial  occasions,  but  then  he  was  silent  alike 
on  great  occasions  as  on  those  of  least  importance. 
It  was  ever  a  fearful  cross  with  him  to  speak  in 
public,  and  to  the  last,  he  always  rose  to  address 
an  audience  with  trembling  timidity.  This  sacri- 
fice he  could  afford  to  subject  himself  to  for  the 
good  he  hoped  to  do  in  a  sermon  of  one  or  two 
hours,  addressed  to  thousands,  but  not  for  the 
small  benefits  likely,  in  his  estimation,  to  result 
from  a  speech  of  fifteen  minutes  delivered  on 
some  question  of  minor  moment.  Indeed,  he 
could  not  make  a  short  speech  worth  hearing  had 
he  attempted  it;  the  machinery  of  Bascom's  great 
intellect  could  no  more  put  itself  into  full  action 
in  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  than  an  ocean  steamer 
could. 

Mr.  Bascom  was  connected  with  the  Augusta 
College  for  a  period  of  ten  years ;  and  though,  in 
the  routine  of  mere  college  duty,  we  cannot  expect 
to  find  much  of  variety  or  stirring  incident,  yet 
within  that  period  occurred  several  of   the  most 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  23o 

important  events  of  his  life,  some  of  which,  at 
least,  we  shall  notice. 

One  of  those  events  was  the  death  of  his  father, 
which  took  place  in  1833.  His  devotedness  to 
his  afflicted  and  indigent  parent,  in  the  infirmities 
and  sufferings  of  age,  was  one  of  his  most  beau- 
tiful traits  of  character;  and  never  had  filial  piety 
a  lovelier  manifestation  than  in  the  case  of  Henry 
Bascom.  His  father's  affliction  was  protracted 
through  a  series  of  years,  but  through  all,  and  to 
the  last  moment  of  life,  Henry  never  relaxed  in 
his  attentions  and  his  efforts  to  render  the  evening 
of  his  father's  days  as  comfortable  and  happy 
as  possible.  And  with  him,  it  was  not  enough, 
that  he  borrowed  money  to  procure  for  him  the 
comforts  of  life,  and  so  involved  himself  in  per- 
petual embarrassment ;  but  at  great  sacrifice,  he 
gave  his  personal  attention,  his  labors,  his  watch- 
ings,  his  soothing  kindness,  his  counsels  of 
encouragement* 

In  the  first  year  of  his  professorship  at  Augusta, 
there  appears  to  have  been  complaints  made,  that 
he  spent  more  time  in  attendance  on  his  sick 
father,  than  was  consistent  with  his  duties  to  the 
oollege.  On  this  subject,  he  wrote  to  the  late  Dr. 
Ruter,  then  President  of  the  college.     The   Dr. 

*  To  make  himself  wakeful  while  Avatching  by  the  bed  of  his 
sick  father,  it  was  his  custom  to  lie  on  the  floor  with  a  block  of 
wood  fo-r  his  pillow. 


236  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

replies,  that  such  complaints  can  only  proceed 
from  narrow  minds,  and  that  the  permanent  effect 
of  his  course  must  be  to  elevate  him  in  the  esteem 
of  all  whose  good  opinion  has  any  real  value. 
Thus  encouraged,  he  followed  out  the  inclinations 
of  his  affectionate  heart,  in  ministering  to  the 
comfort  of  his  suffering  parent.  He  even  went 
into  the  forest,  and  with  his  own  hands,  cut  and 
hauled  wood  for  the  use  of  the  family,  and,  day 
and  night,  performed  all  the  offices  of  servant, 
nurse,  and  son. 

The  closing  scene  at  length  came,  and  though 
long  expected,  it  fell  like  a  thunderbolt  on  the 
head  of  Henry.  Below  will  be  found  an  extract 
from  a  sketch  of  that  scene,  drawn  by  another 
hand : 

"  The  blasts  of  winter  had  succeeded  to  the 
livery  of  autumn,  without  adorning  the  leafless 
branches  with  the  fury  frost-worl^  which  is  that 
season's  own  peculiar  decoration.  The  mist  hung 
in  heavy  masses  over  the  water,  giving  additional 
cheerlessness  to  the  scene ;  and  sad  indeed  it  was 
to  know,  that  the  desolation  of  nature  was  but  a 
faint  emblem  of  that  which  reigned  within  the 
silent  dwelling.  The  windows  on  one  side  of  the 
house  were  entirely  closed,  while  those  shutters  in 
front  that  were  opened  were  yet  unfistened,  as 
though  hastily  thrown  aside  to  admit  the  light  of 
day,  while  yet  the  inmates  were  too  much  absorbed 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  237 

to  do  aught  that  was  not  absolutely  necessary. 
The  past  night  had  been  to  them  one  of  no  com- 
mon interest,  for  the  father  of  that  family  lay  on 
his  dying  bed,  and  in  the  apartment  were  assem- 
bled those  connected  with  him  by  the  nearest 
and  strongest  ties  —  the  ties  of  kindred  blood, 
affection  and  intellect.  The  almost  unexampled 
suffering  that  had  marked  the  last  years  of  his 
life,  had  but  the  more  endeared  him  to  those  who 
had  witnessed  his  patient  endurance  and  cheerful 
acquiescence  to  the  will  of  God.  True,  they  knew 
he  was  to  leave  the  vale  of  sorrow  for  the  realm 
of  peace  —  that  he  was  to  exchange  the  tortures 
of  a  living  death  for  the  joys  of  a  blissful  immor- 
tality; but  the  voice  of  nature  would  not  be 
repressed;  the  claims  of  affection  would  be  recog- 
nized, and  the  gushing  tears  and  convulsive  sobs 
of  those  around,  told  how  strong  were  the  links 
now  to  be  dissevered  by  the  destroyer.  But  in 
despite  of  the  pangs  of  approaching  dissolution, 
the  countenance  of  the  saint  of  God  revealed  the 
peace  that  reigned  within,  and  all  beheld  the 
dominion  of  principle  and  the  reasoned  conviction 
of  the  understanding,  regulating  the  devotion  of 
the  heart,  and  all  its  tender  and  lofty  impulses,  at 
the  approach  of  death.  He  spoke  of  the  truth  and 
power  of  Christianity,  with  the  confidence  of  one 
who  knows  its  value.  His  faith  and  his  hope  were 
connected  with  a  life  of  piety,  and  looked  forward 


238  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASC»M. 

to  the  reward  of  virtue,  as  secured  by  the  covenant 
of  our  common  redemption.  The  dying  patriarch 
had  intimated  his  last  wishes  to  his  family;  like 
Jacob,  had  bequeathed  to  each  his  blessing,  and 
felt  but  slight  anxiety  for  those  whose  oversight 
he  could  devolve  on  one,  alike  his  hope,  his  joy. 
his  pride,  and  his  reliance.  Tremblingly  alive  to 
all  his  wants  and  wishes,  that  one  had  stood  beside 
him  —  now  he  supported  the  sinking  head  —  now 
presented  the  cooling  draught;  and  ever  and  anon, 
as  he  failed  to  understand  the  faltering  accents, 
pressed  his  brow  in  agony  on  his  father's  hand. 
The  last  conflict  was  now  approaching,  and  in  his 
character,  as  one  of  Heaven's  ordained  ministers, 
Henry  administered  to  the  dying  believer,  the 
emblems  of  the  broken  body  and  shed  blood  of 
the  Redeemer.  Once  more,  the  father  listened  to 
the  words  of  inspiration,  inestimable  from  any 
source,  and  still  receiving  an  added  charm  when 
breathed  by  one  so  dear ;  and  never,  though 
admiring  crowds  had  hung  entranced  and  spell- 
bound by  his  heaven-breathed  eloquence  —  no, 
never,  had  that  gifted  one  appeared  so  all-com- 
manding, so  worthy  of  the  homage  of  the  heart, 
as  when  kneeling  by  the  lowly  couch,  in  prayer 
his  soul  winged  its  flight  to  the  bosom  of  its  God. 
That  prayer,  no  language  can  describe.  The 
faltering  accents  of  earthly  love  gradually  rose  to 
the   strengthened  voice  of   faith,  then  swelled   to 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BAoCOM.  239 

the  triumphant  tones  of  assured  glorious  victory. 
Overmastered  by  his  feelings,  Henry  paused,  and 
overpowered  by  his  fervid  eloquence  and  deep 
devotion,  all  were  hushed  in  silence.  The  father's 
arm  was  thrown  around  the  son,  whose  hand  was 
clasped  in  his,  and  the  dark  luxuriant  curls  of  the 
younger  formed  a  striking  contrast,  as  pressed 
upon  the  same  pillow,  they  mingled  with  the 
silvery  locks,  which  — 

'  Like  snow  upon  an  alpine  summit, 
Only  proved  their  near  approach  to  heaven.' 

"  The  shutters  were  thrown  open  to  admit  the 
light,  and  as  the  rays  filled  the  room,  Henry 

'  Turned  away, 
As  though  his  heart  abhorred  the  coming  day, 
And  shrunk  his  glance  before  the  morning  light, 
To  look  upon  the  brow  where  all  grew  night.' 

"As  the  beams  of  the  morning  fell  upon  that 
brow,  they  revealed  the  traces  of  fearful  suffering; 
and  they  only  who  have  seen  the  one  most  dear 
to  them  writhe  in  agony,  to  which  they  cannot 
even  offer  alleviation — they  only  know  the  feeling 
which  stamped  upon  Henry's  features  the  impress 
of  utter  hopelessness.  For  a  moment,  too,  the 
glorious  hope  of  immortality  was  obscured.  The 
past,  the  present,  and  the  future  of  this  world 
crowded  on  his  mind,  that  he  was  to  be  bereft  of 
the  friend  and  counsellor,  whose  paternal  feeling 
and  generous  solicitude  had  been  his  solace  in  many 


240  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

an  hour  of  trial  and  affliction  —  that  'mid  the 
varied  ills  of  life,  he  no  more  should  be  sustained 
by  the  consciousness  that  there  existed  at  least 
one  heart,  in  the  kindly  sympathies  of  which  his 
bruised  and  anguished  feelings  never  failed  to  find 
relief' — that  a  nameless,  heart-withering  feeling 
of  desolation  was  to  succeed  to  scenes,  that  even 
sorrow  and  affliction  had  never  rendered  gloomy. 
An  involuntary  groan  escaped  him,  and  the  father, 
though  already  in  the  arms  of  death,  aroused  once 
more.  He  fixed  his  dying  gaze  on  his  son,  and 
though  unmoved  he  had  borne  his  sufferings  — 
though  in  silence  be  had  triumphed,  and  in  com- 
posure seen  the  glories  of  the  upper  world  bursting 
on  his  vision — he  looked,  and  wept !  Yes,  though 
the  first  full  draught  of  immortality  had  almost 
touched  his  lips,  he  wept !  —  for  him  whom  he 
was  about  to  leave  alone  and  cheerless,  with  few  to 
understand  —  perhaps  with  none  to  sympathize. 
Shocked  at  his  father's  evident  emotion,  Henry's 
devoted  affection  enabled  him  to  repress  his  own ; 
and  the  words  of  parting  consolation  which  whis- 
pered the  severance  would  be  but  short,  and  the 
re-union  lasting,  fell  like  Gilead's  balm  on  the 
heart  of  the  departing,  and  while  concentrated  in 
his  look  were  faith,  hope  and  love,  'glory  to  God,' 
trembling  on  his  dying  lips,  was  his  only  reply, 
and  the  last  sentence  he  ever  uttered." 

In  this  connection,  I  will  introduce   an  account 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  241 

of  this  solemn  event,  with  other  matterSj  kindly 
famished  me  by  the  E-ev.  J.  G.  Bruce.  Speaking 
of  the  residence  of  Dr.  Bascom's  f  ither,  Mr.  Bruce 
says,  "  Here  I  met  the  man  who  had  filled  the 
world  with  his  flime,  bending  over  the  bed  of  a 
father,  and  ministering  with  the  tenderest  affection ; 
and  here  I  saw  the  same  man  repairing  fences, 
cultivating  the  grounds,  and  laboring  to  exhaus- 
tion to  make  comfortable  a  large  family,  mainly 
dependent  on  him  for  support  —  and  formed  the 
highest  opinion  of  his  filial  piety  and  noble  gene- 
rosity." Mr.  B.  met  with  Dr.  Bascom  in  his  old 
neighborhood  several  years  after  his  father's  death, 
where  they  held  a  meeting  together.  Mr.  B.  says  : 
"  Bascom  preached,  and  carried  his  audience  to  the 
third  heaven. 

"  After  dinner,  he  requested  me  to  take  a  walk 
with  him  to  the  grave  yard,  which  was  a  few 
hundred  yards  below,  in  a  bend  of  Eagle  creek. 
The  stream  was  washing  away  the  bank,  and 
encroaching  on  the  burying  ground,  and  he  wished 
to  make  some  arrangements  for  the  protection  of 
the  dead.  Having  reached  the  ground,  and  seated 
ourselves  at  the  root  of  a  tree,  Dr.  Bascom  pro- 
ceeded to  remark  —  ^  There  sleep  my  father, 
mother,  and  sister!  Three  purer  mortals  never 
lived  or  died.  You  knew  the  first;  but  the  others 
had  passed  up  to  heaven  long  before  your  acquaint- 
ance with  the  f  imily.     Father's  life  was  full  of 

16 


242  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

suffering- — his  death  replete  with  moral  grandeur. 
For  six  weeks  I  had  watched  incessantly  the 
ebbings  of  life.  The  rain  had  been  falling  heavily 
for  several  days,  the  waters  were  up,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  get  abroad,  when  he  suggested  to  me 
that  his  end  was  near,  and  he  desired  to  receive 
the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  before  his 
departure.  I  told  him  that  as  early  as  possible,  I 
would  send  for  a  minister  and  have  the  sacrament 
administered.  "  No,  my  son,"  said  he,  "  I  wish  to 
receive  it  at  your  hands  alone."  My  soul  was 
overwhelmed ;  but  his  will  was  my  law.  The 
elements  were  prepared,  and  we  knelt  at  his  bed- 
side and  performed  for  him  the  last  solemn  service 
this  side  the  grave.  He  enjoyed  it  greatly, 
thanking  God  for  the  precious  privilege.  "  Now, 
my  son,  I  am  ready  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ. 
But  your  mother  (step-mother)  and  the  children — 
will  you  take  care  of  them  ?  "  Father,  said  I,  do 
you  doubt  it?  "No,  Henry,  no;  I  should  not 
have  asked  you  —  I  know  you  will.  But  one 
thing  more  —  bury  me  beside  your  mother.  And 
do  you  recollect  that  she  was  buried  by  moonlight, 
in  consequence  of  a  detention  at  the  house  ?  "  I 
recollect  it  well,  said  I.  "  The  moon  gives  light 
now,  does  it  not?"  he  continued.  I  answered 
affirmatively.  "Well  then,  hurt/  me  hy  moonlight 
beside  your  mother ^  On  being  assured  that  it 
should  be  done  as  he  wished,  an  ineffable  light 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  243 

spread  over  his  countenance,  and  whispering  his 
farewell  to  the  family,  he  calmly  fell  asleep  in 
Jesus. 

'  0  may  I  triumph  so 
When  all  my  warfare 's  passed, 
And  dying,  find  my  latest  foe 
Beneath  my  feet  at  last ! ' 

"  Never,"  adds  Mr.  B.,  "  did  Bascom  appear  to 
me  so  truly  great  as  at  this  moment.  His  heart 
heaving  over  the  graves  of  buried  friends,  and  his 
soul  exulting  in  prospect  of  a  re-union  with  them 
in  Heaven.'* 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

Re  takes  Charge  of  his  Father's  Family,  consisting  of  Step-mothei 
and  her  Children  —  With  his  heavy  Burden  of  Debt  and  Family. 
Ells  Duties  of  his  Chair,  Preaches,  delivers  Addresses,  &c.  —  Malht 

—  his  Description  of  Bascom's  Talents  —  Offered  Presidency  of 
Augusta  College  —  Testimonial  of  Trustees  —  Elected  to  General 
Conference  of  1836 — Visits  Scene  of  Early  Labors  —  Delivers 
Address  at  laying  Corner  Stone  of  Indiana  Asbury  University  — 
Tenders  his  Resignation  as  Professor  —  Is  not  accepted,  but 
Permission  given  to  Travel  —  Invited  to  deliver  Lectures  on 
Infidelity,  in  Cincinnati — Delivers  the  Lectures  in  Cincinnati  and 
in  Louisville  —  Receives  the  Honorary  Degree  of  D.D.  —  Invited  to 
preach  before  Young  Men's  Missionary  Society  of  New  York  — 
Preaches  with  fine  Effect  —  Notices  by  Knickerbocker  and  others 

—  First  Interview  with  his  Wife  —  Delivers  Lectures  on  Infidelity, 
in  New  York  —  Notice  by  the  Press  —  Visits  and  Lectures  at 
divers  Places  —  Visits  Saratoga  and  Preaches  to  a  great  Multitude 
in  open  air,  and  brings  on  Bronchial  Affection — Notice  of  this 
Sermon  —  Offered  Agency  at  Salary  of  Three  Thousand  Dollars, 
but  declines  —  Advised  to  go  South  for  Health  —  Lectures  in 
Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  &c.,  but  had  to  desist — Report  of  Dr. 
Bascom's  Death  — Pleasant  Contradiction  of  it —  (Note)  — Why 
did  he  thus  peril  his  life  1  and  why  was  he  permitted  to  do  so  1 

On  the  death  of  his  father  Mr.  Bascom  took  his 
step-mother  and  the  whole  family  to  Augusta,  and 
procuring  a  cottage,  formed  them  into  a  household 
of  which  he  was  the  head  and  provider.  He  had 
now  a  large  family  to  feed,  clothe  and  educate 
Dut  of  his  own  meagre  salary.*     True,  some  of  his 

*  Seven  hundred  dollars  per  annum  part  of  the  time,  and  never 
more  than  one  thousand  dollars. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCO.M.  245 

brothers  had  reached  years  of  maturity,  but  as  they 
were  struggling,  under  circumstances  of  disadvan- 
tage, for  subsistence  for  themselves,  they  could  aid 
Henry  but  little  in  the  support  of  his  heavy  charge. 

It  should  be  recollected  that  this  large  depend- 
ent family,  for  whose  comfort  Henry  encountered 
such  severe  privations  and  embarrassments,  were 
not  his  oivn  mother,  brothers  and  sisters,  but  a 
step-mother  —  to  his  father's  alliance  of  whom  he 
was  averse  —  and  half-brothers  and  sisters,  save 
one,  I  think ;  yet,  it  was  enough  for  him  to  know 
that  the  first  was  his  father's  widow,  and  the  others 
his  father's  children:  they  enjoyed  his  kindest 
unremitting  care  and  providence. 

With  a  large  debt  hanging  over  him,  an  expen- 
sive family  to  support,  and  a  small  salary  to  rel}' 
on,  Mr.  Bascom's  prospect  of  extrication  from  his 
pecuniary  embarrassments  w.is  anything  but  cheer- 
ing. Under  all  this  burden,  he  however  still 
struggled  on,  and  not  only  discharged  the  duties 
of  his  professorship,  but  preached  much,  and  made 
many  public  addresses  on  great  occasions ;  and 
never  did  he  stand  higher  as  a  public  speaker  of  the 
first  grade  than  at  this  time.  He  was  sent  for  to 
go  hundreds  of  miles  to  deliver  addresses  before 
colleges,  at  the  dedication  of  churches,  founding 
of  literary  institutions,  religious  and  benevolent 
anniversaries,  and  the  like.  Sometimes  such 
labors  added  a  trifle  to  his  low  finances,  but  more 


246  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

generally  those  who  solicited  his  services  seemed 
to  think  that  payment  of  his  expenses  was  all  he 
had  a  right  to  expect,  without  compensation  for 
time  or  l;ibor;  and  indeed,  sometimes  he  was 
compelled  to  bear  his  own  expenses. 

Nearly  throughout  the  whole  period  of  Dr. 
B.iscom's  public  ministry  the  late  Rev.  John 
Newland  Maffit  was  also  before  the  public  as  a 
pulpit  orator  of  uncommon  brilliancy  and  popu- 
larity. He  was  often  spoken  of  as  Bascom's  rival 
in  eloquence,  and  of  this  he  was  well  aware.  Aoout 
the  period  of  which  we  are  speaking,  Mr.  Maffit, 
having  heard  Mr.  Bascom,  expressed  his  opinion 
and  admiration  of  his  talents,  in  an  article  which 
we  copy  below. 

"  I  consider  Mr.  Bascom  one  of  the  most  extra- 
ordinary men  of  the  age.  As  a  pulpit  orator  he 
is  an  original ;  and  is  unrivaled  in  the  Union  — 
for  none  are  like  him.  His  path  is  emphatically 
his  own,  dejiying  the  possibility  of  compjirison  with 
that  of  others.  His  shining,  therefore,  dims  no 
other  light.  He  is  the  solitary  star  that  fills  with 
a  flood  of  effulgence  the  skies  of  his  own  creation, 
and  gilds  with  loveliness,  the  forms  which  have 
arisen  at  the  call  of  his  genius.  His  manner  is 
like  that  of  no  living  preacher.  If  you  seek  to 
find  the  model  on  which  he  flishions  his  sermons, 
it  cannot  be  found  in  the  libraries  of  the  old  or 
new  world.     If  you  would  know  the  secret  of  his 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  247 

strength,  you  must  fathom  the  depths  of  an 
intellect,  rich  with  rare  and  peculiar  treasures; 
you  must  add  to  this  the  intensity  of  emotion  with 
which  he  regards  every  subject  that  comes  within 
the  grasp  of  his  mind.  His  baptism  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  was  with  the  tongue  of  flame.  His  mind, 
like  the  Olympic  wrestlers,  struggles  for  mastery 
wherever  it  grapples.  Let  him  encounter  '  the 
gnarled  and  unwedgeable  oak '  of  error  in  its  cen- 
tury-hallowexl  form,  and  the  contact  is  like  that  of 
the  electric  fluid,  rending  and  illuminating  at  once, 
but  not  like  the  fabled  bolt  of  Jove,  rendering 
^sacred  what  it  scarred.'  The  fortification  which 
he  demolishes,  is  ever  after  contemptible  and 
untenable.  The  votary  of  error  under  any  banner 
which  Bascom  may  stoop  to  assail,  ever  afterwards 
will  disown  his  flag,  and  be  ashamed  of  his  former 
inconsistency. 

"  It  belongs  only  to  a  kindred  mind,  partaking 
of  his  own  magnificence,  to  analyze  Bascom.  I 
shall  have  little  to  say,  except  in  general  descrip- 
tions. But  were  one  to  ask  me,  what  is  the 
secret  of  his  influence  ?  —  how  does  he  fill  to  the 
roof  every  church  in  which  he  speaks,  and  send 
away  the  admiring  thousands  of  country,  town, 
or  city,  filled  with  astonishment  and  rapture,  or 
shame —  repentance  or  praise  —  at  his  will  ?  —  I 
should  answer,  negatively,  not  by  his  oratoric;il 
uction,  for  of  this  he  has  but  little.     You  only  see 


248        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

that  he  is  in  earnest,  by  the  bowing  of  his  head, 
even  when  he  is  engaged  in  holding  direct  con- 
verse either  with  God  or  man.  It  is  not  in  the 
power  or  intonations  of  his  voice.  For  orator- 
ical display,  his  voice  would  be  considered  a  bad 
one ;  although  it  is  fearfully  distinct  even  in  its 
husky  whispers,  and  as  rapidly  strikes  through 
his  terse  and  keenly  polished  periods,  as  that 
brightest  and  swiftest  of  created  elements,  to 
which  the  corruscations  of  his  genius  may  be 
most  aptly  likened,  does  through  the  folds  of  a 
thunder  cloud.  The  audiences  who  sit  open 
mouthed  and  breathless  before  him,  are  able  to 
say  little  of  his  manner  when  they  go  away.  The 
subject,  only,  and  with  an  omnipotence  of  power, 
has  stood  before  them,  either  as  an  angel  of  light, 
or  a  fearful  demon ;  the  one  to  sing  '  peace  on 
earth,  good  will  to  men,'  the  other  to  forestall 
doom,  and  threaten  an  eternity  of  wo. 

"  Reared  in  that  great  school  of  impassioned 
oratory,  the  West,  he  has  also  gained  the  con- 
cise and  logical  ratiocination  of  the  East.  Let 
the  inflated  individual,  who  has,  in  his  boasted 
researches  into  philosophy,  never  gained  sight 
of  the  shore  of  the  great  ocean  of  truth,  where 
the  child-like  Newton  stood,  and  only  picked  up 
pebbles  in  his  own  estimation ;  let  this  vain  boastei 
but  come  within  the  action  of  Bascom's  intellectual 
battery,  and  a  faint  smoke,  or  the  mere  ashes  of  a 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  249 

consumed  fabric,  will  only  be  left  to  tell  where 
once  he  stood.  Every  argument  silenced  and 
destroyed;  every  link  in  the  chain  of  error  broken; 
every  false  refuge  of  it  lies  exploded ;  every  dark 
hiding  place  of  sin  searched  as  with  that  stream- 
ing light  which  unhorsed  the  persecutor,  Saul;  how 
often  has  the  infidel  found  himself  in  a  short  hour 
bereaved  of  his  all  on  earth ;  his  all  for  heaven ! 
Then  might  he  seek  Christ  when  his  gods  had 
been  demolished  before  his  eyes,  and  their  power 
scattered  to  the  winds. 

"  Let  Mr.  Bascom  but  rebuke  an  ignorant,  a 
slothful,  or  inefl&cient  ministry,  as  he  sometimes 
does  in  his  sermons,  and  truly  they  may  then  say, 
that  the  scorching  flame  of  judgment  has  first 
begun  at  the  house  of  God  —  where  shall  the 
wicked  and  ungodly  appear?  The  pulpit,  in  his 
view,  is  the  holy  of  holies  of  the  new  dispensation, 
the  call  of  God  to  his  ministering  servants,  in  his 
view,  is  the  awful  commission  before  which  kings 
should  stand  dumb ;  and  the  man  who  bears  this 
commission  ignorantly  or  unworthily,  or  sleeping, 
or  selfishly  may  dread  that  the  fires  of  the  angel- 
guarded  SheJcinah  will  consume  him. 

"Yet  Mr.  Bascom  does  not  wear  a  chilling, 
demure  look.  He  would  have  been  ejected  from 
the  ancient  and  honorable  sect  of  Pharisees,  both 
on  account  of  his  short  prayers  and  unelongated 
physiognomy.      His  thoughts  are  solemn  as  the 


250  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCoM. 

dawn  of  eternity ;  yet,  his  countenanoe  is  culm  in 
purity  of  purpose,  and  earnest  only  in  benevolence, 
while  it  overflows  with  the  expression  of  goodness 
and  amenity. 

"  To  say  that  every  subject  which  he  touches  he 
ornaments,  is  not  expressive  enough.  He  does 
indeed  ornament;  but  not  as  other  men  do,  by 
studied  phrase  and  sounding  epithets;  he  orna- 
ments his  subject  by  linking  it  to  some  grand  and 
classical  association.  For  this  purpose  he  holds  at 
command,  the  treasured  lore  of  each  country  ;  he 
has  the  sublime  imagery,  which  he  has  gleaned 
from  earth,  air,  and  ocean;  he  has  the  key  of  the 
past;  he  reads  from  the  roll  of  prophecy,  the 
revealings  of  the  future.  Images  of  immortal 
beauty,  cluster  in  his  argument ;  at  his  bidding 
damnation  echoes  back  from  its  blackest  deeps, 
the  howling  thunder  of  his  warning,  to  flee  from 
the  wrath  to  come. 

"  Let  him,  as  he  often  does,  plead  the  cause  of 
Africa,  and  you  will  see  the  ancient  cities  stir  with 
life  beneath  the  desert  sands.  You  will  see  her 
ancient  kings,  statesmen,  philosophers,  coming  up 
through  the  marble  ruins  of  once  proud  palaces,  to 
utter  their  voiceless,  because  unspeakable,  charge 
against  debased  Christendom  for  enslaving,  soul 
and  body,  the  relics  of  a  noble  antiquity.  His 
satire  is  keen  ;  and  will  be  remembered,  although 
ihe  polished  arrow  may  wound  so  skillfully,  and 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  251 

with  such  exquisite  science,  as  to  make  the  pain 
almost  a  pleasure  to  the  sufferer. 

"  But,  as  an  honor  to  the  Methodist  communion 
in  which  he  has  long  faithfully  labored :  as  a 
blessing  to  the  world :  a  leading  star  in  the  con- 
stellation of  American  literature,  eloquence;  and 
above  all,  as  a  faithful  and  successful  preacher,  the 
thousands  of  whose  seals  in  the  ministry,  I  see 
around  me ;  if  I  cannot  describe  him,  or  emulate 
his  powers,  I  can  yet  pray  that  his  valuable  life 
may  be  continued  long  on  earth  as  a  rich  and 
peculiar  blessing." 

Such  was  the  expressed  opinion  of  Mr.  Maffit, 
who,  whatever  else  he  was  or  was  not,  was  certainly 
an  orator  of  extraordinary  ability,  and  therefore 
qualified  to  judge  in  a  matter  of  this  sort.* 

He  had  not  been  long  in  the  Augusta  College 
until  a  desire  was  manifested  that  he  should  take  the 
presidency  of  the  institution,  and  among  those  who 
cherished  this  desire,  was  Dr.  Ruter,  who,  in  a  letter 
in  my  possession,  expresses  such  a  wish.  But, 
shrinking  from  both  the  confinement  and  the 
responsibility  the  office  would  impose,  he  constantly 
declined  the  offer.  In  1835,  however,  some  diffi- 
culty occurred  respecting  the  presidency,  and  a 

*  Mr.  Maffit  died  of  broken  heart,  but  a  short  time  before  the 
death  of  Mr.  Bascom.  In  Bascom's  last  letter  to  the  writer,  he 
feelingly  says  —  '■  Poor  Maffit !  he  has  at  last  fallen,  a  sacrifice  to 
the  demon  of  persecutior. !  " 


252  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

rumor  was  put  afloat  that  he  was  seeking  that 
office  for  himself.  Perceiving  Mr.  Bascom  was 
wronged,  if  not  injured,  by  the  report,  the  trustees 
came  out  in  a  unanimous  declaration,  to  the  effect 
that  he  had  not  only  not  sought  the  office,  but  had 
"repeatedly  refused  to  accept  the  appointment," 
and  they  also  adopted  a  resolution  strongly  appro- 
batory of  his  course  in  the  college. 

In  1836,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  General 
Conference,  but  took  no  very  prominent  part  in 
its  proceedings. 

The  same  year  he  visited  one  of  his  first  fields 
of  labor  —  one  which  he  had  occupied  twenty 
years  prior  to  the  date  of  this  visit,  and  was 
received  with  great  enthusiasm.  Crowds  attended 
his  ministrations,  and  in  the  papers  of  the  place 
appeared  a  most  exalted  eulogy  on  his  talents  and 
eloquence. 

In  June,  1837,  he  delivered  an  oration  at  the 
laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  the  Asbury  University, 
at  Greencastle,  la.,  to  do  which  he  had  to  travel 
more  than  two  hundred  miles  by  land.  On  his 
way  thither,  he  preached  at  the  capital  of  that 
State,  to  the  astonishment  and  delight  of  a  vast 
assembly,  very  few  of  the  congregation  having 
ever  heard  him  before. 

At  Greencastle,  his  audience  was  estimated  at 
from  four  thousand  to  five  thousand.  This  was 
one  of  his  first  eftbrts  at  reading  an   address  in 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  253 

public;  and  though  the  composiJou  and  delivery 
were  greatly  extolled,  I  felt  the  disadvantage  of 
the  course  to  be  so  much  against  him,  that  in  the 
delivery  I  could  scarcely  recognize  the  presence 
of  Bascom,  and  earnestly  hoped  it  might  be  his 
last  experiment  in  that  line. 

In  December  following,  under  the  pressure  of 
his  pecuniary  embarrassments,  he  tendered  his 
resignation  to  the  trustees  of  Augusta  College, 
hoping  to  find  some  employment  that  would  aid 
in  his  emancipation  from  debt ;  but  his  resign.'ition 
was  not  accepted,  yet  permission  was  given  him 
to  travel  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time,  and 
turn  his  services  to  the  best  account  he  could  for 
his  own  relief 

The  tide  of  foreign  infidelity  was  at  this  peiiod 
sweeping  over  the  city  of  Cincinnati  like  a  deadly 
sirocco.  The  friends  of  Christianity  deemed  it 
expedient  to  make  some  effort  to  stay  the  raging 
pestilence.  To  this  end,  a  meeting  was  called  in 
the  latter  part  of  this  month,  (December,)  at 
which  it  was  resolved  to  invite  Mr.  Bascom,  to 
deliver  a  course  of  lectures  in  that  city,  on  the 
relative  claims  of  Christianity  and  Infidelity.  The 
invitation  was  given  and  accepted,  and  his  friends, 
aware  of  his  circumstances,  resolved  to  admit 
hearers  only  by  ticket.  What  the  pecuniary  gain 
of  this  measure  was,  I  have  not  the  means  at  hand 
of  know'ng ;  but  the  moral  revenue  arising  from 


254  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

these  lectures  was  above  price.  This  course  of 
lectures  was  also  delivered  in  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
with  much  approbation  and  good  effect. 

Somewhere  about  this  time,  the  honorary 
degree  of  D.  D.  was  conferred  on  Mr.  Bascom, 
and  within  a  short  period,  the  same  honor  w.is 
conferred  by  two  colleges  and  two  universities. 
In  1845,  he  also  received  the  degree  of  LL.  D. 
from  La  Grange  College,  Alabama. 

About  the  time  of  closing  the  lectures,  men- 
tioned above.  Dr.  Bascom  received  an  invitation 
to  deliver  a  missionary  sermon  in  New  York, 
before  the  Young  Men's  Missionary  Society,  and 
for  the  special  purpose  of  relieving  that  society 
from  a  heavy  burden  of  a  debt.  The  invitation 
was  accepted,  and  the  sermon  was  delivered  early 
in  the  following  May.  From  the  numerous  notices 
of  that  sermon,  which  appeared  in  the  city  papers 
at  the  time,  we  select  only  two.  The  first  is  from 
the  note-book  of  the  editor  of  the  Knickerbocker : 

"  While  we  were  yet  in  'a  state  of  dubiety,' 
whether  or  no  his  audience  were  not  to  be  treated 
to  a  merely  nebulous  disquisition,  of  no  particular 
merit,  and  asking,  mentally,  whether  this  could  be 
the  man  whom  Henry  Clay  had  pronounced  the 
greatest  natural  orator  he  had  ever  heard,  when 
a  brilliant  thought,  wreaked  upon  eloquent  and 
original  expression,  enchained  our  attention ;  and 
thenceforward,  to  the  close  of   the  discourse,  we 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  255 

wist  not  that  we  were  occupying  a  narrow  spot  in 
the  middle  of  a  crowded  aisle  —  ^cabined,  cribbed, 
confined,  bound   in'  —  with  the   thermometer  at 
ninety.      When    once    fully   engrossed   with   his 
subject,  (the  progress  and  effects  of  the  Christian 
f  lifch,  and  the  arguments  in  favor  of  its  promulga- 
tion,) every  eye  in  the  congregation  was  upon  the 
speaker,    and    each   heart   beat   quicker,   as   the 
glowing  thoughts  dropped  from  his  tongue.     His 
similes  are  vivid  and  striking,  to  a  degree ;    his 
impressions  of  nature,  and  the  comparisons  which  he 
draws  from  her  external  aspects,  are  not  minute 
and  in  detail.     They  are   upon  a  noble  scale  — 
'  taking  in  whole  continents  and  seas.'     Such  was 
the    character   of  that   portion   of  his   discourse, 
wherein  he  spake  of. the  past  ages;  to  whom  the 
great  volume  of  nature  was  as  a  sealed  book;  who 
saw  no  God  in  the  works  of  his  hand;  who  could 
read  the  starry  rythm  of  the  heavens,  survey  the 
towering    mountains,   the  rivers  sweeping  to  the 
main ;  who  could  hear  the  roar  of  the  great  ocean, 
and  the  far  sounding  cataract,  and  see  in  all  these 
no  evidences  of  the  Power  who  spake,  and  they 
existed. 

"He  was  scarce  less  effective  in  describing  the 
origin  and  spread  of  the  Christian  faith.  The  good 
seed  had  been  sown,  and  for  eighteen  hundred 
years  it  had,  in  one  way  or  another,  been  producing 
fruit.     The  germ  expanded,  and  the  tree  had  arisen 


256  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

and  spreadj  until  the  nations  of  the  world  sat  unAei 
its  branches.     Efforts  had  often  been  made  to  root 
it  out,  and  to  destroy  it.     The  lightnings  of  perse- 
cution had  scathed  ic  —  the  ax  of  the  wicked  had 
sought  to  lop  its  boughs  ■ —  the  wild   boar  of  the 
forest  had  whetted  its  tusk  against  its  time-worn 
trunk  —  yet  still,   in  living  green,  it  spread  its 
inviting  arms  abroad,  every  where  overshadowing 
evil    with    good.      Kingdom  after   kingdom    had 
arisen,  flourished,  and  fallen.     The  wrecks  of  dead 
empires  —  the  long  labors  of  emperors  and  kings, 
of  principalities  and  powers  —  had  passed  away  on 
that  deluge-flood  of  earthly  grandeur  ever  rolling 
onward   to  the   ocean  of  eternity ;    yet  still  af ir 
widened  the  blessings  of  Christianity.     Like  the 
beams  of  the  sun,  each  ray  had  radiated  in  separate 
streams  of  light ;  but  they  were  soon  swallowed  up 
in   one  glad   effulgence,  blessing  all   upon  whom 
it  fell,  even  as  the  common  light  of  heaven.    These 
remembrances  can  afford  the  reader  little  save  a 
faint  idea  of  the  general  character  of  one  or  two  of 
his  positions  and  illustrations.     The  nervous  style, 
the  appropriate  gesture,  the  beaming  eye,  may  be 
imagined  but  must  be  seen  to  be  realized.     The 
very    hesitation,    which    our    orator    occasionally 
manifests  in  making  a  selection    from    thoughts 
which  are   pressing  for  utterance,  is  in  itself  an 
essential  feature  of  eloquence;  for  when  the  key- 
word unlocks  the  treasure,  the  intellectual  flood  rolls 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.       257 

on  with  a  resistless  force,  the  greater  from  having 
been  pent  up  and  kept  back;  while  the  speaker's 
language  illustrates  and  adorns  his  thoughts,  ^as 
light,  streaming  through  colored  glass,  heightens 
the  object  it  falls  upon.'  " 

From  another  city  paper  we  take  the  following  : 
"  The  missionary  sermon  delivered  in  this  city 
on  Sunday  evening  last,  by  the  Rev.  H.  B.  Bascom, 
D.  D.,  was  replete  with  sterling  reason,  and  start- 
ling eloquence;  it  exhibited  a 'grasp  of  mind  so 
far  beyond  the  range  of  ordinary  sermonizing,  that 
we  doubt  not,  among  the  vast  multitudes  who 
crowded  and  pressed  against  the  walls  of  the 
church  where  the  effort  was  delivered,  without  and 
within,  there  were  sundry  of  the  latter,  who  were 
not  properly  lifted  up  to  the  grand  scope  and 
sphere  of  the  speaker's  vision.  The  text, — 
(which  if  we  remember  rightly  was,  '  For  our  sakes 
he  became  poor,  that  we  through  his  poverty 
might  become  rich,')  —  was  wrought  out  into  a 
world  of  thought,  of  persuasion,  of  imagery,  —  to 
which  Milton  himself  might  have  listened  with  an 
applauding  spirit.  To  those  who  cannot  retire 
into  that  realm  of  the  mind,  which  seems  to  open 
upon  it  the  domain  of  immortal  prophecy :  —  the 
illimitable  stretch  of  that  vastness,  where  the 
Omnipotent  sits  clothed  in  light  as  with  a  garment 
—  who  are  unaccustomed  to  entertain  those  views 
which  stretch  beyond  this  visible  diurnal  sphere^ 

17 


258  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

or  those  rapt  ^thoughts  that  wander  through 
eternity/  —  the  sermon  m  question  may  have 
seemed  too  high-wrought  and  sublime,  to  sink  at 
once  upon  the  mind.  It  was  a  discourse,  suscep- 
tible of  after-influences ;  it  left  an  aliment  for  the 
spirit,  where  it  might  take  the  nurture  piecemeal, 
and  in  separate  contemplation.  The  argument 
throughout,  was  admirably  sustained,  —  and  in  its 
widest  details  would  h:ive  delighted  an  astronomer. 
There  was  something  in  the  progress  and  peror.itiou 
of  the  effort,  which  frequently  reminded  us  of  the 
magnificent  flights,  the  empyreal  ascensions,  of 
the  celebrated  Milman,  in  his  happiest  endeavors : 
a  symmetrical  conjunction  of  reason  and  imagi- 
nation, fortifying  each  other,  with  vision  and 
conclusion.  Being  spontaneous,  it  cannot  be  sup- 
posed, that  one,  warmed  with  the  vastness  of  his 
theme,  might  not  expand  his  similes  both  in 
number  and  spirit,  beyond  the  common  ken ;  yet, 
)t  is  not  in  ordinary  intellects  to  set  bounds  to 
sacred  improvisation.  Bending  to  the  divine  affla- 
tus, and  uplifted  to  the  celestial  Zion,  who  shall 
put  bolts  and  bars  before  the  spirit's  rapture  ?  No 
doubt  it  is  vouchsafed  to  some  minds,  to  have  a 
wider  bound  of  intellectual  light  opened  upon 
them,  than  is  accorded  to  the  generality  of  others; 
and  this  appears  to  be  the  case  with  the  subject 
under  notice ;  his  tropes  and  figures  are  not 
drawn  from  the  narrowed  border  of  this  sublunary 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  259 

oib ;  but  he  ascends,  as  it  were,  into  an  imaginary 
balcony,  where,  like  him  '  upon  the  top  of  Fesole, 
or  in  Val  d'Arno,'  he  descries  new  systems, — 
points  the  upraised  vision  to  a  deeper  phalanx  of 
worlds  on  worlds,  blooming  in  expanded  beauty, 
and  encircled  with  that  immortal  principle  of  life 
and  light,  whose  seat  and  fountain  is  the  inner 
sanctuary  of  God.  One  would  think  that  the 
gradations  from  such  vast  contemplations,  down 
to  the  subject  of  earthly  missions,  would  be 
abrupt  and  incongruous — but  they  were  not.  To 
a  succession  of  brilliant  hypotheses,  with  which 
the  exordium  and  centre  of  the  discourse,  were, 
perhaps,  too  replete,  there  followed  a  train  of 
evangelical  reflections,  —  corollary  of  the  whole,. 
—  which  abounded  with  true  edification,  and  left 
upon  the  minds  of  the  audience,  the  deepest  and 
most  lively  impressions. 

"  There  was  a  pecuniary  shower  afterwards  among 
the  assembly,  the  gross  amount  of  which  must 
have  been  very  considerable, — and  which  will,  no 
doubt,  fully  accomplish  its  benevolent  and  human- 
izing r,im." 

We  must  be  permitted  to  introduce  yet  another 
notice  of  this  discourse.  It  is  from  a  relidous 
paper  of  a  different  church  from  that  to  which  Dr. 
Bascom  belonged : 

"  Last  evening  the  New  York  Bible  Society  held 
its  anniversary  at  the  Broadway  Tabernacle.     This 


260  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

was  the  first  of  the  anniversaries  of  the  season, 

and  if  we  may  judge  from  the  spirit  of  this  occasion, 

no  sm  dl  treat  is  to  be  enjoyed  by  the  attendants 

upon    the   coming  celebrations.      H.   B.  Bascom, 

D.D.,  (Methodist,)  was   selected   speaker  for  the 

occasion ;   and  the  choice  was  most  happy.     Dr. 

Bascom  is  one  of  the  choice  spirits  of  the  age,  and 

well  suited  to  elevate  the  public  mind  in  its  views 

of  these  great  benevolent  enterprises.    His  remarks 

upon  the  character,  genius,  principles,  and  effects 

of  Christianity — the   Bible — were   incomparably 

eloquent  and  impressive.     At  one  time  we  stood 

in  the  centre  of  the  great  drama  of  time  —  in  the 

centre   of  the  broad  amphitheatre   of  Jehovah's 

creative  and  providential  exhibitions.     Language 

is  too  feeble  to  express  the  vivid  conceptions  that 

burst  upon  my  mind,  when  from  that  centre  he 

followed  the  track  of  sacred  record  —  the  pathway 

of  God  from  the  origin  of  things.     The  speaker 

hiid  philosophy,  but  he  did  not  deify  it.     The  Bihle 

seemed  his  great   instructor.     How  forcibly  the 

commonest  incident  of  biblical  record  rose  into  an 

era  under  his  master  touch,  none  but  those  who 

heard  him  can  fully  conceive.     I  stood  and  gazed 

upon  the  canvas  which  his  mighty  pencil  touched 

I  looked  through  the  telescope  which  he  held  before 

the  eye,  and  lo  !  the  morning  of  existence  dawned 

—  the  cradled  universe  kindled  its  infant  smile 

under  the  u'tcred  OTituLitions  of  its  Maker  —  thy 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  26] 

morning  stars  began  to  sing,  and  the  sons  of  God 
shouted  for  joy.  He  lifted  that  telescope  again, 
and  a  boundless  eternity  was  revealed.  So  bold 
were  his  conceptions  when  he  attempted  an  expres- 
sion of  eternity  —  and  so  wide,  so  vast,  was  the 
region  that  lay  expanded  before  us,  that  time's 
epoch  dwindled  down  to  a  brief  hour,  and  the  circle 
of  the  heavens  narrowed  to  the  merest  point. 

"  Yet  it  was  not  mere  flashing  oratory  —  mere 
scintillations  of  a  vivid  imagination.  There  was  a 
solidity,  a  maturity  of  thought  unusual  to  a  mind 
of  his  glowing  order.  While  I  was  gazing  upon 
the  scenery  thus  spread  out  before  me,  suddenly 
'  the  angel  of  prophecy  passed '  me,  and  it  was 
difficult  to  continue  the  impression  that  I  was 
listening  to  a  description,  —  so  much  of  livi72g 
reality  seemed  to  invest  the  whole  scenery.  The 
angel  of  prophecy  lifted  the  curtain  of  time  to 
come ;  revelation  then  shed  its  brilliant  light  over 
the  7iew  scene.  You  might  have  beheld  the  hill 
tops  and  mountain  brows  brilliant  with  a  'living 
splendor,'  '  the  outline  '  of  the  future  —  affording 
all  we  need  to  anticipate  —  and  leaving  the  inter- 
vals to  be  filled  up  by  the  historic  pen.  Down  in 
the  distance  of  coming  ages,  the  gradual  develop- 
ments of  prophecy  opened  before  us  the  angry 
attacks  of  infidelity  upon  the  Bible.  Her  undaunted 
steps,  as  she  went  on, '  hurling  thunders  at  thrones 
and  pronouncing  the  doom  of  nations  j'  her  splen- 


262       LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

did  achievements,  as  she  rolled  on  her  chariot  over 
a  world  of  broken  hearts  that  throbbed  with  the 
first  pulse  of  real  life  in  the  crush;  and  other 
mighty  doings  then  passed  in  review  before  us  — 
until  the  blended  voice  of  the  redeemed  below,  and 
the  redeemed  above,  swelled  into  its  highest  strains 
when  he  said  the  entr;uiced  spirits  above  would 
*  hush  their  harps '  and  bend  from  the  heavens  to 
listen  to  the  'tones  of  their  praise,'  and  \hQ  hymns 
of  their  melody." 

After  the  services  of  that  evening  were  con- 
cluded, Dr.  Bascom  was  introduced,  at  the  house 
of  Dr.  R.,  to  Miss  Van  Antwerp,  who  afterwards 
became  his  w4fe. 

After  completing  his  engagement  in  behalf  of 
the  Missionary  Society,  it  was  proposed  that  he 
should  repeat  his  lectures  on  Christianity  and  infi- 
delity in  the  city.  This  he  did  with  marked 
success.  All  who  heard  them  appeared  delighted, 
and  the  public  press  was  ptofuse  in  their  praise. 
From  the  multitude  of  notices  we  select  but  one, 
and  that  one  among  the  most  moderate  of  the  whole : 

"  The  second  lecture  of  Professor  Bascom,  on 
'  The  Evidences  of  Christianity,'  will  be  delivered 
tills  evening^  and  not  at  the  time  accidently  stated 
in  the  Inquirer  of  this  morning.  The  following 
remarks  of  th.it  paper  with  respect  to  the  first 
lecture,  deserve  full  endorsement,  and  with  double 
emphasis,  to  the  subsequent  portions  of  the  course. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  263 

in  which  the  tide  of  evidence  and  argument, 
gathering  strength  as  it  goes  on,  must  sweep  con- 
viction to  every  mind  not  resolved  against  it : 

" '  It  was  indeed  a  lecture  worthy  to  have  been 
delivered  before  the  heads  of  any  college  or 
university,  either  in  America  or  Europe,  and  as  far 
as  the  argument  extended,  it  was  impossible  not  to 
be  struck  with  the  sound  logical  premises  on  which 
it  was  based,  the  true  philosophy  and  religion  of 
its  doctrines,  and  the  correctness  in  every  point  of 
the  Professor's  well-managed  deduction.  To  the 
Infidel,  it  was  a  matter  of  conviction  —  to  the 
Christian  and  true  believer,  a  source  of  additional 
triumph  and  joy.  Although,  as  we  have  already 
observed,  the  lecture  only  formed  one  of  a  series, 
yet  it  was  classically  correct  in  the  detail,  appa- 
rently unanswerable  in  reasoning,  and  decidedly 
perfect  as  a  whole.  We  infer,  therefore,  that  each 
lecture  will  present  a  similar  monument  of  logical 
unity,  symmetry  and  perfection.  We  once  more 
urge  upon  our  readers  the  advantage  of  attending 
the  course,  which  cannot  f;dl  to  improve  them  in 
the  interests  of  religion,  and  elevate  their  concep- 
tions of  Christianity.' " 

Afterwards  he  visited  New  Haven,  Middletown, 
and  other  places  in  New  England,  and  delivered 
his  lectures. 

Sometime  in  the  summer,  he  visited  Saratoga 
and    preached.      The    concourse    of  visitors   was 


264  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCGM. 

large,  and  composed  of  the  elite  of  the  country; 
there  was  no  house  large  enough  to  accommodate 
the  audience,  and  Dr.  Bascom  preached  in  the 
open  air  to  a  congregation,  estimated  at  three 
thousand  souls.  The  effort  was  a  powerful  one, 
and  very  successful  in  so  far  as  the  edificition,  and 
even  delight  of  the  hearers  were  concerned ;  but 
it  brought  on  a  bronchial  affection,  from  the  effects 
of  which  he  suffered  much,  and  from  which  he 
never  entirely  recovered.  Of  this  sermon,  a  Sara- 
toga correspondent  of  a  Baltimore  paper  writes : 

"Dr.  Bascom  threw  himself  into  the  field  of 
prophecy,  traced  its  fulfillment  from  the  days  of  its 
utterance  to  the  present  time,  with  a  clearness 
that  seemed  to  excite  universal  admiration ;  and 
his  analogies  were,  to  the  mind,  like  the  bright 
sun  beam,  darting  vividly  through  the  broken 
cloud  of  the  morning,  to  the  eye.  Not  a  whisper 
could  be  heard,  and  all,  save  the  speaker's  voice, 
were  wrapt  in  the  mantle  of  silence.  The  visions 
of  his  imagination  seem  bright  and  quick  as  the 
comet's  flight;  and  he  takes  the  mind  of  the 
listener,  as  it  were,  from  the  groveling  sphere  to 
which  the  animal  man  is  confined,  and  mounting 
aloft,  lays  the  very  court  of  heaven  open  to  its 
vision,  whilst  the  caverns  of  the  darker  regions  are 
beheld  yawning  beneath.  He  carries  it  impercep- 
tibly, through  the  untrodden  fields  of  illimitable 
space,  while  the  millenial  sun  is  mentally  seen  k 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  265 

rise,  and  throw  an  unbroken  sheet  of  light,  and 
heavenly  purity  over  the  inhabitants  of  the  spheres. 
I  wish  I  had  time  to  study  a  description  of  his 
powers." 

About  this  time  he  was  offered  a  general  agency 
of  the  American  Colonization  Society,  at  a  salary 
of  three  thousand  dollars  a  year.  This  was  highly 
complimentary  under  the  circumstances ;  for  that 
society  was  allowing  agents  contingently  from  five 
hundred  to  one  thousand  dollars;  but  having 
tested  the  value  of  Dr.  Bascom's  services  in  that 
capacity,  they  believed  that  the  interests  of  the 
society  would  be  promoted  by  employing  him  at 
even  this  high  salary.  Circumstances,  however, 
rendered  it  expedient  in  his  judgment,  to  decline 
the  liberal  offer. 

On  his  return  to  New  York,  from  Saratoga,  his 
symptoms  were  such  as  to  alarm  his  medical  ad- 
visors, and  he  was  directed  to  spend  the  ensuing 
winter  as  far  south,  at  least,  as  Virginia. 

He  started  southward  accordingly;  but  the 
desperate  state  of  his  affairs  was  such,  that  he  felt 
compelled  to  labor  for  the  replenishing  of  his 
finances,  even  at  the  cost  of  health  and  the  peril 
of  life.  He  lectured  in  Philadelphia,  Baltimore, 
and  other  cities  on  his  route,  until  he  reached 
Petersburg,  Va.,  where  he  entirely  failed  and  had 
to  desist. 

He  always  lectured  three  nights  in  succession ; 


266  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

and  frequently  on  the  following  morning  after 
lecturing,  he  rose  voiceless  and  prostrated,  and 
only  by  fomentations  and  hot  drinks,  recovered 
himself  through  the  day  for  another  struggle  at 
night.* 

Why   did   he    submit   to  this  distressing  and 

*  The  low  state  of  Dr.  Bascom's  health,  and  the  apparent  proba- 
bility that  he  would  not  recover,  gave  rise  to  a  rumor,  that  he  was 
actually  dead,  and  this  report  soon  spread  through  the  newspapers. 
Below  we  give  the  rumor  in  one  of  its  forms,  with  the  remarks  of  the 
editor. 

We  have  learned  from  an  authentic  source,  that  the  Rev.  HENRy 
B.  Bascom,  that  brightest  light  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
nay,  of  the  whole  Catholic  Church,  is  no  more !  We  understand 
that  he  died  in  Virginia,  on  his  way  westward,  but  the  particulars 
of  this  melancholy  event  have  not  yet  reached  us 

"The  language  of  eulogy  is  too  feeble,  in  our  mouth,  at  least,  tc 
give  vent  to  the  feelings  with  which  this  loss  has  overpowered  us. 
We  can  only  remember  what  he  was,  and  imagine  what  he  is,  —  a 
star  of  exceeding  brightness  added  to  the  brilliant  cluster  in  heaven." 

"  Ills  loss  to  tlie  church  must  be  irreparable  ;  we  know  it  to  be  so 
to  the  Union  at  large,  out  of  whose  midst  a  great  man  has  been 
taken, —  one  great,  indeed,  in  the  legitim?*^e  sense  of  that  term, 
mighty  in  intellect,  wise  to  direct,  and  powerful  to  execute  the 
glorious  warfare  in  which  he  was  engaged. 

We  are  not  a  member  of  any  church,  but,  in  this  event,  we  can 
sympathize  fully  with  its  members.  We,  too,  can  pay  the  tribute 
whicli  aflfection  and  veneration  owe  to  the  memory  of  one,  who 
cultivated  assiduously  the  finest  endowments  with  which  nature  can 
invest  mortality,  (for,  surely,  such  were  his,)  and  who  esteemed  it 
his  highest  privilege  to  be  permitted  to  devote  tiiem  all  to  the 
service  of  the  Great  First  Cause  by  whom  they  were  bestowed." 

"  The  New  York  Commercial  notices  the  rumor,  but  pleasantly 
assures  his  contemporary  that  "  Although  the  eloquent  divine  is  not 
dead,  yet  something  very  sei-ious  will  happen  to  him  very  soon."  To 
which  a  Baltimore  paper  responds  —  "We  have  no  doubt  of  it ;  for 
it  is  confidently  expected  that  about  March,  he  will  be  converted 
from  —  bachelorism!  a  consummation  devoutedly  to  be  wished." 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  267 

perilous  course?  Because  the  benevolence  of  his 
heart  had  led  him  to  contract  a  debt  for  the  benefit 
of  others,  under  the  weight  of  which  he  was  now 
crushed  to  the  earth;  and  rather  than  allow  his 
creditors,  or  the  cause  of  God  to  suffer  through  his 
delinquency,  he  put  his  valuable  life  in  jeopardy.* 
But  why  was  this  suffered?  why  this  state  of 
things  not  prevented  by  the  wealthy  members  of 
the  church?  I  know  of  no  better  reason  than  that 
Christians  set  a  less  value  on  the  services  of  the 
most  talented  and  faithful  ministers  of  their 
religion,  than  men  of  the  world  place  on  eminent 
statesmen  and  politicians.  In  England  vast  sums 
were  bestowed  on  Pitt,  Burke,  and  others,  by 
wealthy  individuals,  in  consideration  of  their  public 
services.     In   our  own  country,  a  large  sum  was 

*  Dr.  Bascom's  language  on  this  subject,  addressed  to  his  be* 
trothed  in  a  letter,  some  months  previous,  to  his  marriage,  is  too 
expressive  of  his  feelings  and  his  situation  to  be  omitted. 

He  says  —  '"I  must  provide  for  my  family  —  [his  father's]  for  the 
payment  of  a  portion  of  my  debts,  and  see  that  my  remaining 
creditors  are  satisfied  —  these  are  imperative  matters,  and  may 
require  my  presence  for  a  year  or  two.  Be  assured,  however,  my 
dear  E,  —  I  shall  not  take  you  to  Kentucky,  if  I  see  that  you  are  to 
suffer  by  it,  or  be  subjected  to  humiliation.  You  will  perceive,  that 
on  this  subject,  I  am  a  good  deal  feverish  and  distracted.  If  I  fail 
in  Baltimore,  I  have  no  hope  of  success,  and  must  give  up  all  hope 
of  the  immediate  relief  for  which  I  sigh."  His  intended  wife, 
sympathizing  in  his  difficulties,  kindly  offered  him  a  sum  of  money, 
to  relieve  the  present  pi-ess.  To  this  tender  of  aid  he  responds  — 
'*  Your  kind  offer,  my  dear  E-,  —  to  assist  me  in  my  difficulties,  was 
like  yourself,  and  makes  me  more  proud  of  you,  and  love  you  the 
more,  but  with  my  present  views,  I  cannot  accept  it.  The  amount. 
it   is   true,  would   greatly  relieve   me,  still,  my   dear   girl,  I    mus» 


268  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

given  to  Henry  Clay,  to  relieve  him  of  embarrass- 
ment, and  to  Daniel  Webster,  to  provide  for  the 
comfort  of  his  old  age,  because  they  had  rendered 
distinguished  service  to  their  country  or  their 
political  party.  To  this  I  make  no  objection ;  but 
why  are  Christians  less  generous  in  providing  for 
distinguished  and  needy  ministers?  Had  Bascom 
devoted  his  great  talents  to  politics,  certainly  he 
could  not  have  been  as  useful  as  in  the  higher  and 
holier  sphere  of  action,  in  which  he  moved ;  yet, 
no  one  doubts  his  ability  to  have  taken  rank  with 
Clay,  Webster  and  Calhoun,  had  he  selected  the 
sam.e  field ;  and  in  that  case  too,  there  is  hardly 
room  to  doubf"  that  Bascom  the  Statesman  had  been 
liberally  proviaed  for,  while  Bascom  the  Christian 
orator  was   permitted  to  suffer  under   perpetual 

decline  your  tender.  I  might  die,  and  although  a  note  might  be 
evidence  of  my  indebtedness,  yet  my  effects  might  not  be  equal  to 
the  claims  against  me,  and  you  be  the  sufferer.  No  :  let  me  try  to 
extricate  myself  in  some  other  way.  It  bids  fair  to  be  vain,  I  know, 
but  still  let  me  try.  Let  me  have  the  consciousness  of  having  done 
all  that  hope  could  prompt  to,  or  desperation  suggest,  and  then, 
even  with  the  iron  hand  of  poverty  at  my  throat,  I  can  breathe  more 
freely."  **#*''  The  sameness  of  my  topics  must  be  a  tax 
on  your  forbearance  ;  but  when  a  man  writes  from  prison,  what 
topics  can  he  discuss,  unconnected  with  the  darkness  of  his  cell 
contrasted  with  the  excluded  light  of  heaven  1  It  may  not  always 
be  so.     If  it  is,  it  shall  not  be  my  fault." 

Speaking  of  his  physical  sufferings  while  on  this  same  tour,  he 
says,  —  "  If  you  were  with  me,  my  dear  E.,  —  this  dreadful  exhaus- 
tion, and  this  painful  throat  might  be  more  tolerable,  as  it  is,  I  have 
seldom  been  more  utterly  outdone.  These  efforts  have  cost  me 
dearly,  very  dearly.  In  my  life,  perhaps- 1  have  never  had  such  a 
fttruggle  to  keep  up." 


LIFE   OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  269 

embarrassment  for  the  means  of  meeting  his  debts 
of  humanity  and  benevolence.  And  is  it  not 
almost  certain  that  those  very  Christians  who 
allowed  him  to  suffer  and  languish  unaided,  as  a 
gospel  minister,  would  have  come  promptly  to  his 
rescue,  had  he  been  an  embarrassed  statesman? 
This  is  a  painful  theme;  for  the  writer,  with  a  most 
intimate  acquaintance  with  his  feelings  and  deep 
mental  sufferings  on  this  account,  is  strongly 
impressed  with  the  conviction  that  his  distressing 
embarrassment  hastened  his  death ;  and  that  but 
for  this  cause,  he  had  in  all  probability  been  living, 
laboring,  and  honoring  the  church  at  this  day. 
In  his  last  serious  illness  before  the  one  that 
terminated  his  earthly  career,  his  physicians  pro- 
nounced mental  anxiety  to  be  the  prime  cause  of 
his  disease ;  and  in  his  last  illness,  the  desperate 
state  of  his  affairs,  the  gloomy  prospect  of  leaving 
his  creditors  unpaid,  and  his  loved  little  ones 
dependent  on  the  charity  of  a  cold,  unfeeling 
world,  so  wrought  on  his  spirits  as  to  give  much 
additional  power  to  a  disease,  which  under  favor- 
able circumstances  would  probably  have  yielded  to 
remedial  agencies.  But  we  turn  from  reflectiona 
60  gloomy,  and  now  unavailing. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

[mproves  in  Health,  returns  to  New  York  and  Marries  —  Why  did  he 
not  Marry  earlier,  and  disembarrass  himself?  —  Why  Marry  now 
under  Embarrassments  ?  —  Leaves  New  York  with  his  Lady,  and 
visits  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Pittsburg,  and  finally  Augusta  — 
Heavy  Draught  on  his  Funds  —  Manner  of  Life  and  Prospect  — 
Elected  President  of  Louisiana  College,  which  he  Declines  — 
Tendered  Presidency  of  Missouri  University,  also  Declined  — 
Elected  to  General  Conference  of  1840 — Important  Position 
Assigned  him  —  Overture  from  Transylvania  University  —  Action 
of  Conference — Dr.  Bascom  a  Commissioner — Tender  of  Morrison 
College  to  Kentucky  Conference — Commissioners  meet  and  accept 
the  College  —  The  Source  of  a  Difficulty  Transferring  only  a  Col- 
lege when  a  Univeisity  was  understood  —  Bascom  appointed 
President  pro  tern,  of  University  —  Services  and  Compensation  at 
Augusta  —  (Note)  —  Germ  of  Future  Difficulties  developing  — 
College  opened  under  new  Organization,  and  is  very  Successful  — 
Comparative  Prosperity  shown  —  (Note)  —  College  Property 
incumbered  —  Efforts  to  Relieve  it  —  Death  of  Dr.  Bascom's  Step- 
mother—  Dr.  Bascom  a  Delegate  to  the  General  Conference  of 
1844 — On  account  of  Difficulties  on  the  Slavery  Question,  declines 
as  Chairman  of  Commissioners,  to  report  the  acquisition  of  the 
College  —  Is  elected  Permanent  President  of  University  —  Is 
Chairman  of  Education  Committee  in  General  Conference  —  Gets 
into  a  Political  Difficulty,  the  History  of  which  is  given. 

After  Dr.  Bascom  had  somewhat  recruited  his 
health  by  rest,  he  returned  to  the  city  of  New  York, 
and  on  the  seventh  of  March  1839  was  married 
to  Miss  Van  Antwerp,  by  Rev.  Fitch  Reed. 

"But  why  did  he  not,  long  before  this  date, 
marry  a  lady  of  fortune,  and  so  relieve  himself  of 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  271 

pecuniary  difficulties?'"^  This  question  has  often 
been  asked,  and  can  be  easily  answered.  He 
regarded  matrimony  as  too  sacred  a  thing  to  be 
influenced  and  directed  by  pecuniary  and  sordid 
considerations  :  He  was  too  high-minded  and  of  too 
independent  a  spirit  to  place  himself  in  a  state  of 
entire  dependence  on  a  lady  whose  hand  he  should 
solicit  in  wedlock :  He  could  hardly  expect  to  find 
any  lady  who  would  perfectly  sympathize  with  him. 
and  bestow  her  means  in  support  of  those  dependent 
on  his  bounty.  No  man  appreciated  the  blessing 
of  social  life  and  domestic  relations  more  highly 
than  Dr.  Bascom,  but  his  sense  of  duty  to  those 
committed  to  his  care  induced  him,  until  this  late 
period  in  life,  to  forego  this  enjoyment. 

"But  why  marry  now,  with  all  his  difficulties 
still  pressing  upon  him  ?"  It  had  come  to  be  high 
time  for  him  to  take  this  step,  if  it  was  ever  to  be 

*  A  letter,  written  a  short  time  before  his  marriage,  contains  views 
of  matrimony  so  just,  as  to  warrant  a  brief  extract.  -'Althongh 
many  a  dark  cloud  skirts  my  horizon,  yet,  with  God's  blessing,  and 
your  love  I  hope  to  have  some  fair  sky  at  least,  to  bless  the  future. 
In  this,  my  dear  E.,  much  will  depend  on  you.  If  I  should  be 
disappointed  in  marriage,  of  all  men  I  should  be  most  miserable ; 
but  my  anticipations  include  no  such  result.  Let  us  resolve  to  be 
contented  and  happy,  and  this  resolve  will  contribute  much  to  make 
us  so.  Why  should  we  not  be  happy  ?  I  shall  have  much  care  and 
affliction  on  account  of  my  femily,  and  so,  perhaps,  will  you;  but 
happiness  on  earth  implies  no  exemption  from  affliction  and  trial. 
To  meet  these  and  triumph,  in  peace  with  heaven  —  not  enslaved  to 
earth  —  and  with  true  and  unchanging  devotion  to  each  other  in 
weal  or  woe,  this  is  the  only  happiness  we  can  hope  for,  and.  my 
dearest  girl,  for  it  let  us  hope." 


272  LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

taken  at  all;  —  his  betrothed,  understandmg  hia 
circumstances,  was  willing  to  share  his  lot  with  him ; 
she  had  means  to  place  herself  above  dependence, 
and  these  he  secured  to  her,  legally,  without  her 
knowledge,  that  so  she  might  not  suffer  seriously 
from  his  embarrassments ;  —  and,  finally,  he  had 
realized  about  three  thousand  dollars  as  the  pro- 
ceeds of  his  lecturing,  and  this  sum  would  afford 
him  some  present  relief:  and  hope  promised  a 
more  prosperous  future. 

Soon  after  their  marriage.  Dr.  Ba scorn  and  his 
lady  started  for  the  west.  They  spent  some  time 
in  Philadelphia,  and  in  Baltimore,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  Pittsburg,  where  Mrs.  Bascom  was  left 
with  Mrs.  Bell  —  Dr.  Bascom's  niece  and  adopted 
daughter — until  he  went  to  Augusta  to  make 
arrangements  for  her  reception.  He  procured  a 
habitation  for  his  step-mother  and  family,  repaired 
his  own,  and  on  the  last  night  of  April,  1839,  Mrs. 
Bascom  was  installed  mistress  of  her  Kentucky 
home. 

When  Dr.  Bascom  left  his  wife  at  Pittsburg  he 
had  three  thousand  and  five  hundred  dollars;  — 
when,  three  or  four  weeks  afterwards,  she  joined 
him  at  Augusta,  he  had  but  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  of  that  sum  left.  But  the  payment  of  this 
sum  relieved  the  present  press.  He  wrought  his 
own  garden,  kept  but  one  servant,  had  two  boarders, 
—  his  wife  took  the  active  management  of  house- 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  273 

hold  ailliirs,  and  the  present  was  more  happy,  and 
the  future  more  bright  than  heretofore. 

In  1840  Dr.  Bascom  was  elected  President  of  the 
Louisiana  College,  located  at  Jackson.  To  this 
office  was  attached  a  salary  of  three  thousand  dol- 
lars per  annum;  but  whether  his  dependents  and 
creditors,  the  want  of  harmony  among  the  Trustees, 
the  unwillingness  of  Augusta  to  lose  his  services, 
or  whether  these  with  other  reasons  induced  his 
declinature,  I  am  not  prepared  to  say;  what  is 
certainly  known  is  that  he  did  not  accept  the 
appointment. 

Within  the  the  same  same  year  he  was  semi- 
officially  invited  to  the  Presidency  of  the  University 
of  Missouri;  —  that  is,  he  was  requested  by  a 
Committee  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  permit  his 
name  to  be  put  in  nomination  before  the  Board  for 
that  office.  As  he  had  declined  a  more  eligible 
Presidency  after  having  been  elected  to  it,  he 
of  course  declined  entering  the  lists  as  a  candidate 
and  competitor  for  this. 

Dr.  Bascom  was  this  year  again  elected  to  the 
General  Conference,  where  he  was  a  member  of 
the  standing  committee  on  slavery,  and  chairman 
of  a  special  committee  raised  with  reference  to  a 
particular  branch  of  the  same  subject.  The  confi- 
dence of  the  episcopacy  in  his  ability  to  manage 
this  unpleasant  and  difficult  subject,  induced  a 
portion,  at  ^east,  of  the  Episcopal  board,  to  request 

18 


274  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

him  to  make  a  general  repor};,  based  on  that 
particular  case.  This  report  will  be  brought  into 
notice  elsewhere  in  this  work,  and  needs  not  to  be 
called  up  here. 

At  this  conference,  a  communication  was  received 
from  the  Trustees  of  Transylvania  University,  inti- 
mating an  intention  on  the  part  of  that  body  to 
tender  the  control  of  the  institution  to  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church.  The  conference,  therefore, 
appointed  a  board  of  commissioners  to  represent 
them  in  this  important  business ;  and  Dr.  Bascom 
was  a  member  of  that  commission,  and  acted  as 
chairman  of  the  board.  The  resolution  of  the 
conference  on  this  subject,  provided  that  "the 
commissioners  should  have  authority  to  make  any 
arrangement  with  the  trustees  of  the  university 
by  which  they  may  secure  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the 
control  of  said  university,  in  so  fir  as  to  provide 
that  it  [the  General  Conference]  sh;ill  elect  the 
faculty  and  officers  thereof,  Jind  arrange  and  settle 
the  course  of  studies  pursued  therein,  and  the 
internal  policy  thereof,  through  any  board  of 
curators  which  the  conference  may  appoint  for 
that  purpose  ;  and  provided  they  do  not  pledge 
the  property  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
jior  bind  this  conference,  either  collectively,  or  the 
members  individually,  to  pay  any  money,  either  to 
endow  or  sustain  said  university.     And  said  com- 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  275 

missioners  shall  have  power  to  carry  into  immediate 
effect  any  arrangement  they  may  make  with  said 
trustees,  in  conformity  with  the  foregoing  stipula- 
tions, and  they  shall  report  their  actings  and 
doings  herein  to  the  next  session  of  this  conference. 

In  the  autumn  of  1841,  the  trustees  of  the 
University  sent  one  of  their  number  to  the  session 
of  the  Kentucky  annual  conference  —  within  the 
bounds  of  which  it  is  situated  —  to  apprize  that 
body,  that  they  were  ready  to  make  a  tender  of 
Morrison  College — the  academic  department  of  the 
university  —  to  the  commissioners,  and  to  get  a 
pledge  of  co-operation  and  support  from  that  body. 
The  conference  had  no  power  to  accept  the  offer 
hi  behalf  of  the  church,  but  they  approved  the 
naeasure,  and  gave  a  qualified  pledge  of  support. 

In  the  spring  of  1842,  the  commissioners  met, 
and  formally  accepted  the  offer  of  the  trustees, 
and  resolved  to  take  possession  in  the  following 
autumn. 

Here,  it  appears  to  me,  a  blunder  was  committed 
at  the  outset  of  this  negotiation,  the  effects  of  which 
were  disastrous  to  the  enterprise.  The  control  of 
Transylvania  University  appears  to  have  been  pro- 
posed to  the  General  Conference  ;  the  conference 
appointed  commissioners  to  receive  a  University, 
but  instead  of  this,  only  Morrison  College,  which 
was  but  one  of  three  colleges  composing  the 
university,  was  finally  tendered  and  accepted.     A 


276  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASGOM. 

university,  under  the  control  of  the  church,  would 
probably  have  enlisted  a  number  of  conferences  in 
its  support  —  perhaps,  all  the  south  ;  but  not  so  a 
mere  college,  of  which  there  were  already  many 
under  the  control  of  the  annual  conferences,  and  to 
the  support  of  some  one  or  other  of  these,  nearly 
every  annual  conference  in  the  connection  was 
already  pledged.  Those  conferences  could,  there- 
fore, have  no  adequate  motive  to  withdraw  their 
support  from  their  own  colleges  at  home,  to  give 
it  to  a  mere  college  at  a  distance.  Had  the 
University  been  put  under  the  control  of  the 
church,  there  had  been  the  object  of  giving  our 
sons  a  literary  and  a  professional  education  in  the 
same  university,  and  that  a  church  institution. 
True,  the  church  had  the  appointing  of  a  Presi- 
dent, who  was  not  only  President  of  Morrison 
College,  but  of  the  entire  university;  yet,  even 
he,  had  little  or  no  other  authority  over  the  Law 
and  Medical  departments,  than  simply  to  deliver 
diplomas  to  those  designated  by  the  trustees  of  the 
university.  These  explanations,  and  others,  are 
necessary  to  a  right  understanding  of  Dr.  Bascom's 
connection  with,  and  relation  to  that  institution. 

The  commissioners  proposed  Dr.  Bascom  for  the 
the  presidency  of  Transylvania,  but  he  declined ; 
yet,  rather  than  defeat  the  enterprise,  he,  at 
length,  yielded  his  reluctant  consent,  so  f)ir  as  tc 
become  President  pro  tcm- 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  277 

Under  this  arrangemeut,  he  resigned  his  chair 
in  Augusta  College,  and  removed  to  Lexington.* 
This  was  a  highly  responsible,  and,  in  many 
respects,  most  unpleasant  position.  The  principle 
just  now  noticed  at  once  began  its  workings;  there 
was  a  college  already  under  the  care  of  the  Ken- 
tucky conference,  and  there  were  those  who  were 
not  willing  to  abandon  the  old  college  for  the  new. 
The  majority,  however,  were  ready  to  pledge 
support  to  the  newly  acquired  institution,  and 
were  desirous  to  withdraw  the  endowment  funds 
of  the  conference  from  Augusta,  and  appropriate 
them  at  Lexington. 

This  attempt  brought  on  a  series  of  vexatious 

*  When  Dr.  Bascom  resigned  his  chair  in  Augusta  College,  he 
was,  by  some,  much  censured,  and  the  charge  of  ingratitude  was 
brought  against  him.  as  if  that  institution  had  conferred  on  him  sncii 
large  favors  as  to  bind  him  in  everlasting  gratitude  to  it.  To  this 
charge  he  replied,  that  he  had  served  for  as  little  as  seven  hundred 
dollars  a  year,  and  at  no  time  more  than  one  thousand  dollars,  and 
never  in  any  one  year  received  more  than  half  his  salary  in  cash, 
and  seldom  so  much  —  that  "  for  the  last  six  sessions  he  had  received 
only  one  dollar  in  five  of  his  salary  in  money  —  that  on  going  there, 
he  relinquished  a  salary  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  and  often  during 
his  stay,  had  offers  worth  twice,  thrice,  and  even  quadruple  what 
they  gave  him  —  that  he  had  paid  for  the  institution  several  hundred 
dollars,  in  donations,  subscriptions,  traveling  expenses,  &c.  Add  to 
this  sixteen  hundred  dollars,  paid  or  to  be  paid  for  board,  tuition, 
&c.,  of  students  without  funds,  sent  to  his  care."  "  My  expenses  in 
eleven  years  have  exceeded  my  income  by  at  least  five  thousand 
dollars.  All  this  went  to  the  college  and  the  place,  and  is  a  larger 
amount  by  more  than  a  thousand  dollars,  than  I  have  received  ia 
cash  from  the  trustees  of  the  college  in  all  my  life.  And  yet  I  ant 
rharged  with  ingratitude  " 


278        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

and  prolonged  law  suits;  and,  in  all  these,  Dr. 
Bascom  had  to  bear  the  chief  burden  of  toil,  and 
no  small  expense,  as  well  of  money  as  of  time ; 
and  no  man  could  suffer  more  from  the  annoyance 
of  such  things  than  he. 

The  General  Conference  had  prohibited  the 
commissioners  from  appropriating  any  church  funds 
to  the  support  of  the  institution,  and  the  trustees, 
therefore,  had  nothing  to  expect  from  that  quarter; 
but  the  Kentucky  conference  become  pledged  to 
procure  students,  to  endow  one  professorship,  and 
to  bring  over  their  Augusta  funds,  provided  they 
could  be  recovered. 

The  first  they  did  for  a  time  most  handsomely, 
the  second  they  but  half  accomplished,  and  in  the 
third  they  did  not  succeed  at  all. 

The  college  was  opened,  however,  and  under 
Bascom's  administration  it  was,  for  some  years, 
eminently  successful;  seven  professors  and  tutors 
were  employed,  and  by  the  end  of  the  second  year 
the  catalogue  had  swelled  from  some  twenty  or 
thirty  to  near  three  hundred.* 

*  To  learn  the  happy  influence  of  this  transfer,  on  the  prosperity  of 
the  Institution,  it  is  only  necessary  to  present  official  statements  of  its 
condition  before  and  after  that  event.  It  was  opened  under  the  new 
oro-anization,  September  or  October,  1842.  At  or  about  the  opening 
of  the  preceding  session,  the  trustees  reported  to  the  State  Legislature, 
that  the  annual  income  of  the  college  was  five  thousand  two  hundred 
and  twenty  dollars,  that  its  expenditures  were  six  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-two  dollars,  and  that  the  whole  amount  of  tuition  fees 
received  for  instructien  for  the  preceding  year  in  Morrison  College 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCCM.  279 

Presently  it  transpired  that  there  was  a  mort- 
gage lien  on  the  college  premises  of  some  five  or 
six  thousand  dollars,  which  must  be  immediately 
discharged;  the  buildings,  too,  were  much  out  of 
repair,  and  funds  must  be  raised  for  both  purposes. 
To  meet  the  emergency,  Bascom  and  a  few  friends 
borrowed  money,  and  paid  off  the  mortgage,  and 
an  agent  was  sent  out  to  collect  money  to  pay  the 
loan  and  make  necessary  repairs.  Some  funds 
were  secured,  and  some  repairs  paid  for,  and  some- 
thing paid  on  the  interest  of  the  loan,  but  Bascom 
and  his  colleagues  of  the  f  iculty  had  a  large  sum 
to  pay  from  their  own  pockets  for  repairs,  and  the 
loan  stood  unliquidated.  Still  the  college  halls 
were  thronged  with  students,  and  never  had  it  a 
higher  reputation. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1842,  Dr.  Bascom's 
step-mother,  who  had  been  provided  for  and  nursed 
by  him  for  nine  years,  departed  this  life.  On 
the  occurring  of  this  event  he  incorporated  the 
remaining  members  of  his  father's  family  into  his 
own,  and  continued  to  be  a  father,  as  well  as  brother, 
to  them  so  long  as  they  had  need  of  his  guardian- 
ship and  providence. 

was  but  four  hundred  and  forty  dollars  —  that  is  eleven  paying 
students  in  the  college  proper  —  and  six  hundred  and  thirty  dollars 
for  tuition  in  the  preparatory  department.  In  two  years  from  that 
time  the  college  —  including  preparatory  department  —  presented  a 
catalogue  of  ^m;o  hundred  and  eighty-one  students]  and  still  a  year  later, 
3f  two  hundred  and  ninetij. 


280  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

In  1844,  Dr.  Bascom  was,  as  usual,  a  delegate 
to  the  General  Conference,  and  as  chairman  of  the 
board  of  commissioners,  it  became  his  duty,  by 
the  terms  of  his  appointment,  to  report  to  that 
body,  the  action  had  in  relation  to  the  college, 
that  the  conference  might  appoint  officers  for  it, 
us  stipulated  in  the  resolution  of  1840.  Difficul- 
ties, however,  arose  between  the  North  and  the 
South,  and  fearing  the  appointment,  under  the 
existing  excitement,  of  unacceptable  officers,  and 
of  unpleasant  confficts,  he  doubted  the  expediency 
of  presenting  the  institution  to  the  conference. 
The  southern  delegates  took  the  same  view  of  the 
subject,  and  signed  a  written  pledge  to  sustain 
him  in  his  proposed  course,  and  accordingly  he 
made  no  report  of  what  the  commissioners  had 
done. 

Up  to  this  time  Dr.  Bascom  had  looked  forward 
to  the  General  Conference,  as  the  time  when  a 
permanent  president  of  the  university  would  be 
appointed,  and  he  should  be  released  from  that 
onerous  burden :  but  on  his  return  home,  the 
trustees,  highly  approving  of  his  course,  promptly 
elected  him  president  permanently. 

At  this  General  Conference,  Dr.  Bascom  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  committee  on  education; 
but  as  the  difficulties  which  grew  up  in  the  confer- 
ence on  the  subject  of  slavery  threatened,  early  in 
the  session,  to  work  a  severance  of  the  connection. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  28] 

w'hile  it  was  deemed  inexpedient  to  briiig  the 
affairs  of  Transylvania  before  that  body,  it  was 
judged  unnecessary,  if  not  improper,  to  make  any 
general  report  respecting  the  literary  institutions 
of  the  church  —  leaving  each  division  to  manage 
its  own  literary  interests. 

During  this  year,  Dr.  Bascom  became  involved, 
most  unexpectedly,  in  a  very  unpleasant  affair. 
Col.  Polk  and  Mr.  Clay  were  rival  candidates  for 
the  Presidency  of  the  United  States, — the  contest 
was  not  only  warm,  but  bitter  and  violent,  and 
every  expedient  or  stratagem  that  promised  suc- 
cess, was  unscrupuously  employed  by  demagogues 
and  party  leaders  of  both  parties.  The  private 
character  of  Mr.  Clay  was  violently  assailed,  and  a 
gentleman  in  the  east  wrote  to  Dr.  Bascom,  whom 
he  knew  to  be  a  neighbor,  and  friend  of  Mr.  Clay, 
—  for  a  frank  statement  as  to  his  moral  character. 
However  defective  this  may  have  been  at  an 
earlier  period,  Dr.  Bascom  firmly  believed  it  to 
be,  at  that  time,  entirely  unimpeachable,  and  such 
was  the  general  opinion ;  indeed,  it  was  not  long 
after  this  that  he  regularly  connected  himself  with 
the  church.  With  the  assurance  that  his  answer 
was  intended  for  no  public  use.  Dr.  B.  expressed 
his  opinion  with  the  freedom  of  private  correspon- 
dence, and  perhaps  with  some  coloring  of  partiality, 
supposing  the  matter  would  end  there.  Soon, 
however,  the  substance  of  his  letter  was  published 


282  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

in  the  political  papers  in  Mr.  Clay's  interest ;  this 
excited  some  of  the  other  party  against  him 
extremely,  and  he  was  denounced  in  libels  the 
most  false  and  scandalous,  and  for  the  first  and 
only  time  in  his  life,  his  own  moral  character  was 
impeached  to  invalidate  his  testimony.  But  he 
suffered  the  slanderers  to  go  unprosecuted  — 
though  he  might  have  recovered  exemplary  dama- 
ges for  the  slander;  rightly  judging  that  such 
missiles  could  make  no  general  or  permanent 
impression  on  a  character  established  and  built  up 
by  long  years  of  upright  conduct,  and  indefitigable 
devotion  to  his  sacred  calling.  True,  he  regretted 
that  he  had  not  been  more  cautious  in  his  remarks, 
and  so  avoided  this  persecution;  but  as  he  had 
acted  from  no  improper  motive,  he  was  content  to 
abide  the  issue.* 


*  As  this  letter  was  the  occasion  of  bitter  prejudice  against  Dr. 
Bascom  in  the  minds  of  many,  and  some  who,  perhaps,  have  never 
fully  understood  the  facts  of  the  case,  it  may  be  no  more  than  sheer 
justice  to  his  character  to  place  the  matter  in  its  true  light.  And 
first,  we  give  the  published  statement  of  his  enemies  as  to  the  contents 
of  tlie  letter,  and  also  a  most>idiculously  false  report  of  Dr.  Bascom's 
personal  history,  and  his  relations  with  Mr.  Clay. 

"  The  Rev.  Henry  B.  Bascom,  who  emigrated  from  this  section 
some  years  ago,  has  recently,  we  see,  been  certifying  for  the  '  Hon.  H. 
Clay.'  First,  he  certifies  that  '  Mr.  Clay  offers  no  claim  to  Christian 
piety,'  but  asserts  that  the  charges  against  him  of  being  a  duellist,  a 
gambler,  &c.,  are  •  utterly  and  basely  false.'  That  '  in  view  of  the 
ordinary  accredited  principles  of  good  moral  character,  no  charge 
can  be  brought  against  him,  without  violating  the  obligations  of  truth 
and  sound  justice '  Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  Rev.  H.  B 
Bascom  went   to    Kentucky   as    an    adventurer,  poor   and   without 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM,  28S 

friends:  that  Mr.  Clay,  finding  him  possessed  of  rire  parts,  took 
him  under  his  care  and  protection,  educated  him,  and  made  a  minister 
of  him :  that  he  bears  a  reputation,  over  the  Union,  as  a  very  eloquent, 
though  wordy  and  windy  pulpit  orator:  that  through  Mr.  Clay's 
influence  he  was  elected  chaplain  to  the  lower  house  of  Congress  in 
1841,  and  subsequently,  through  the  same  influence,  was  placed  at 
the  head  of  the  Transylvania  University,  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  we 
shall  then  have  a  clue  to  the  strong  feelings  that  induced  the  reverend 
gentleman  to  certify  to  that  which  every  man  in  the  United  States 
knows  to  be  false.  It  is  but  a  short  time  since  we  heard  a  distin- 
guished member  of  the  church  of  which  Mr.  Bascom  is,  we  fear,  an 
unworthy  minister,  assert  at  a  public  meeting,  that  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  Kentucky,  knew  that  Henry  Clay  was  a  gambler." 

In  this  sliort  extract  are  at  least  seven  or  eight  palpable  falsehoods, 
having  not  even  a  shadow  of  foundation  in  truth.  But  here  follows 
the  beautiful  sequel : 

"  We  will  close  by  giving  the  reader  one  more  glimpse  at  the 
ministerial  character  of  Rev.  H.  B.  Bascom.  Some  fifteen  years 
ago,  when  we  resided  in  Delaware  county,  N.  Y.,  a  gentleman 
informed  us  that  Mr.  Bascom,  whom  he  spoke  of  as  one  of  the  most 
eloquent  preachers  in  the  United  States,  had  written  a  letter  to  hi.«! 
old  friend,  P.  S.  Preston,  Esq.,  in  which  he  spoke  of  visiting  tne 
Beechwoods,  and  was  particular  in  inquiring  that,  if  in  case  he  visited 
that  section  he  should  find  any  '■girls  that  ivould  be  come-at-able'^^ 
This,  in  the  'parlance'  of  a  clergyman,  sounded  beautifully  at  tne 
time,  and,  we  recollect,  was  a  subject  of  very  general  remark  in  tne 
neighborhood." 

Another  paper,  after  quoting  the  last  paragraph  above,  says: 

"  T.  J.  Hubbell,  Esq  ,  says  he  read  the  letter  of  Mr  Bascom  to  Mr. 
Preston,  and  remembers  the  phrase  '■come-at-able''  was  underscored 
to  make  it  emphatic,  and  that  he  has  bad  a  rather  poor  opinion  of 
Dr.  Bascom  as  a  minister  ever  since,  though  he  (Mr.  Hubbell)  is  a 
member  of  the  Metliodist  Church.  The  whigs  have  placed  them- 
selves in  an  awkward  position  by  denying  the  trutli  of  our  statement, 
as  it  is  virtually  admitting  that  what  we  have  said  was  enough,  if 
true,  to  destroy  all  confidence  in  the  truth  of  Mr.  Bascom's  certificate 
for  '  Hon.  H.  Clay.'  " 

The  same  paper,  of  a  later  date,  speaking  of  the  matter,  and  of 
this  Mr.  H.,  says  : 

"  At  the  county  meeting  on  Tuesday  evening,  be  (Mr.  H.)  inciden 
.ally  alluded  to  tlic  Bascom  letter,  to  P.  S.  Preston,  Esq.     He  fully 


284  LIFE    OF    BISHOf    BASCOM. 

endorsed  our  statement  about  it  in  the  Herald  .  said  he  saw  th« 
letter,  and  read  it,  and  laughed  over  it,  with  Paul  S.  Preston  hinaself 
and  assured  his  auditors  that  Preston  would  never  deny  to  him  that 
there  was  such  language  in  the  letter  as  was  printed  in  the  Herald." 

Dr.  Bascom  was  here  charged  in  a  public  newspaper  with  gross 
falsehood  —  and  copied  into  many  others  —  and  the  most  foul  and 
damning  imputation  was  attempted  to  be  cast  on  his  fair  fame  by  dark, 
insidious  insinuation.  Political  editors  declared  it  sufficient  to  destroy 
his  credibility  as  a  witness,  and  a  member  of  his  own  communion  pub- 
licly asserted  the  truth  of  the  charge,  and  declared  that  it  had  caused 
him  to  have  "  a  poor  opinion  of  Mr.  Bascom  ever  since."  The  boldness 
of  the  aspersion  made  some  of  Dr.  B  's  friends  fear  the  possibility  of 
some  youthful  indiscretion  on  his  part  as  the  ground  of  it.  Dr. 
Bascom  wrote  to  Mr.  Preston,  in  answer  to  a  request  of  the  latter, 
authorizing  the  publication  of  his  letter  on  which  the  calumny  was 
ostensibly  based,  and  says : 

•'  The  article  from  the  '  Herald,'  to  which  you  direct  my  attention, 
is  a  tissue  of  the  most  stupid  falsehoods,  and  so  far  as  I  am  concerned, 
there  is  not  one  icord  of  truth  in  it.  For  example,  I  left  the  place  of  my 
birth  more  than  thirty-six  years  ago,  and  instead  of  coming  to 
Kentucky  an  'adventurer,'  was  only  twelve  years  old  when  my  father 
and  family  emigrated  westward.  It  is  also  true,  that  I  had  been  a 
regular  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  at  least  eight 
years,  and  as  such  had  filled  some  of  the  most  important  stations  in 
the  West,  before  Mr.  Clay  had  ever  seen  me.  Equally  true  is  it,  and 
Mr.  Clay  will  attest  it  with  more  pleasure  than  I  affirm  it,  that  I 
never  was  indebted  to  Mr.  Clay  to  the  amount  of  a  cent  in  my  life,  and  my 
only  obligations  to  him  are  on  the  score  of  friendship  and  good  will 
to  the  utter  exclusion  of  every  thing  implying  either  bounty  or 
patronage,  and  the  other  charges  of  the  Herald  are  equally  false  and 
defamatory,  besides  being  too  obviously  absurd  and  malignant  to  do 
me  any  harm,  even  where  I  am  not  known.  That  portion  of  the 
political  press  which  has  stooped  to  the  infamy  of  lying  and  misrep- 
resentation to  injure  a  man,  who  had  not  interfered  with  the  rights 
and  functions  of  the  press  in  any  form,  and  had  merely  exercised  the 
right  of  private  judgment,  on  a  question  of  social  justice,  between 
man  and  man,  has  deprived  itself  of  the  power  of  injuring  me,  and 
by  a  resort  to  such  means,  has  superseded  the  necessity  of  even  a 
defence  on  my  part.  The  statement  of  Hubbell  is  a.  sheer  fabrication, 
and  with  the  meaning  he  intends  to  convey,  an  unqualified  falsehood^ 
and  no  man  on  earth  knows  it  better   than    the  very  convenient 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  285 

sv'itJiess,  who,  for  nierL4y  political  party  purposes,  has  lent  himself  to 
the  guilt  and  shame  of  becomino;  its  author. 

•'  You  are  at  liberty  to  publish  my  letter  of  1823,  to  which  Hubbell 
refers,  and  Avith  it  this  note,  should  you  deem  it  necessary.  Your 
letter,  to  which  mine  of  2d  September,  1823,  was  a  familiar  reply,  is 
preserved,  but  among  a  file  of  several  thousand  letters.  I  cannot 
now,  lay  my  hand  upon  it " 

The  offensive  letter  was  published,  and  the  whole  matter  turned 
out  to  be  no  more  than  this  —  that  more  than  twenty  years  previously 
Mr.  P.  had  written  to  his  old  school  fellow,  Bascom,  inviting  him 
to  visit  his  native  place,  —  rallying  him  playfully  on  the  subject  of 
matrimony,  &c.  With  the  unsuspicious  freedom  of  friendship, 
Bascom  replies,  saying  he  is  still  unmarried,  but  intends  to  marry  at 
some  time  —  purposes  to  visit  his  place  of  nativity,  &c.,  and  adds  — 
"  If  I  should  reach  Delaware  in  •  single  wretchedness.'  will  I  see  any 
body  there  worth  having,  and  come-at-able  by  a  romantic  stranger  ?  or 
shall  I  please  myself  here  among  the  fine  Kentucky  belles  ?  " 

It  was  a  most  malicious  attack  ;  but  simple  truth  wrought  a  power- 
ful re  action.  Bascom  stood  vindicated  and  pure  before  the  world, 
while  his  slanderers  were  left  to  settle  their  account  with  abused 
conscience,  an  iadignant  public,  and  a  just  God. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Soathern  Convention  meets,  1845  —  Dr.  Bascom  at  the  Head  of  the 
most  important  Committee  —  Action  of  that  Body  rerpeeting  the 
University  —  Dr.  Bascom's  Diary  in  1846  —  General  Conference 
—  Bascom  supported  for  Bishop  —  Causes  of  Failure  —  The 
College  accepted  by  General  Conference  —  Bascom  re-elected 
President  —  Difficulties  for  him  in  re-organization  —  College 
begins  to  languish  under  new  Arrangement  —  Dr.  Bascom  elected 
Editor  of  new  Quarterly  Review  —  Commissioner  to  look  after 
the  Church  Property  in  dispute  —  Difficulties  of  his  three  offices, 
and  his  Private  Affairs  —  Plan  for  relieving  the  last  —  Partly 
Successful  —  He  attends  the  Northern  General  Conference  in 
1848  —  Resigns  the  Presidency. 

In  1845  the  Southern  Convention  met  in 
Louisville,  Ky.,  and  formed  a  separate  ecclesiasti- 
cal organization.  Of  this  body,  Dr.  Bascom  was  a 
member  —  and  the  most  effective  one  in  it,  as  will 
be  seen  elsewhere — but  the  assembly  was  not  of 
such  character  as  to  have  authority  to  consummate 
the  connection  between  the  college  and  the  south- 
ern church  ;  yet,  by  way  of  manifesting  their  favor 
to  the  measure,  they  recommended  to  the  annual 
conferences,  to  "instruct  their  delegates  in  the 
General  Conference  of  1846,  to  take  such  action 
as  shall  consummate  the  proposed  connection  be- 
tween the  Trustees  of  Transylvania  University 
and  the  General  Conference,  and  adopt  it  as  the 
university   of    the    Methodist    Episcopal    Church 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  287 

South."  Here  we  have  again  the  misleading  idea, 
that  the  institution  was  to  become  the  one  great 
university  of  the  Southern  Methodist  Church, 
around  which  the  whole  connection  should  rally. 
I  do  not  suppose,  that  the  trustees  intended  to 
deceive  the  conference,  but  the  latter,  not  looking 
thoroughly  into  the  nature  and  bearings  of  the 
proposed  connection,  were,  to  a  great  extent, 
misled  by  the  name. 

At  three  periods  only  of  Dr.  Bascom's  public 
life  did  he  keep  a  diary, — the  first,  on  his  first 
entering  into  the  ministry,  when  his  yet  unde- 
veloped powers  attracted  but  little  attention ;  the 
second  on  his  tour  to  Niagara  in  1829,  and  the 
third,  when  he  had  passed  his  culminating  point, 
and  had  little  to  record  beside  the  monotonous 
routine  of  college  labor,  and  the  mental  perplexities, 
and  bodily  ails  which  beset  him.  The  last  extends 
only  from  the  first  of  January,  1846,  to  the  fourth 
of  May  of  the  same  year.  Bare  of  incident  as  this 
record  is,  we  shall  take  a  few  extracts  from  it. 

"  January  1.  In  deep  affliction.  My  child  — 
second  son  —  Louis  Reece,  extremely  ill  and  not 
expected  to  live. 

"January  5.  At  half  past  three  o'clock  death 
triumphed.  The  lovely  little  sufferer  is  gone.  7th. 
Find  myself  unable  to  adjust  thoughts  or  feelings 
to  the  loss  of  my  child.  Dth.  No  abatem(jnt  of 
grief  and  gloom." 


288  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

On  the  twentieth  and  twenty-second  he  mentions 
complaints  brought  privately  against  some  of  the 
taculty  for  neglect  of  duty  and  want  of  harmony, 
but  hopes  to  overcome  the  difficulty. 

"January  27^  Sick,  and  taking  medicine.  Still 
keep  up  my  habit  of  reading  and  writing  some  ten 
hours  in  the  twenty-four.  Jan.  28.  Anxiously 
engaged  in  adjusting  pecuniary  difficulties. 

"February  2.  Complaints  against  my  worthy 
compeers  of  the  faculty  increase  in  a  certain 
quarter.  Rather  than  incommode  them,  or  have 
difficulty  with  them,  I  shall  resign. 

"February  3.  Am  urged  by  many  friends  to 
allow  my  name  to  be  used  in  view  of  an  election 
to  the  Episcopacy.  Have  uniformly  declined,  for 
various  reasons. 

"February  4.  My  long  indisposition  has 
assumed  the  character  of  a  bilious  intermittent, 
combined  with  a  neuralgic  affection,  involving  the 
nerves  of  the  spine.  I  have  a  paroxysm  of  almost 
unendurable  pain  once  in  each  twenty-four  hours, 
usually  lasting  about  six  hours." 

Though  suffering  with  disease,  and  pressed  with 
college  duties,  he  yet  added  other  labors  to  those 
of  his  office.  On  the  9th  he  says: — "I  am  still 
prosecuting  my  examination  of  the  great  slavery 
and  abolition  question.  Have  sent  to  an  abolition 
depository  for  all  the  English  and  American  publi- 
cations on  the  subject. 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  289 

"February  15.  As  is  my  daily  wont,  read 
several  chapters  in  the  holy  scriptures.  16th. 
Usually  read  more  than  a  hundred  pages  in  one 
or  more  authors  every  day."  And  this  when  he 
was  overburdened  with  college  labor,  and  when  he 
says  : — "  I  am  still  grappling  with  disease." 

"February  18.  Much  afflicted  and  deeply 
anxious  about  college  affau's.  Grave  complaints 
continue  to  reach  me,  and  although  I  am  exempted 
from  their  application,  I  shall  have  the  whole 
burden  to  bear." 

On  the  25th  the  college  adjourned  for  vacation, 
and  immediately  Dr.  Bascom  had  to  put  himself 
under  medical  treatment.  For  some  time  the 
record  presents  only  a  report  of  his  extreme 
sufferings,  and  his  constant  eflbrts  to  labor  on  in 
the  midst  of  all.  ¥/henever  not  wholly  confined 
to  bed  he  was  busily  employed  in  reading  and 
writing. 

March  13th  he  says:  —  "My  physicians  ascribe 
my  disease  to  mental  anxiety."  On  the  23rd  he 
says :  —  "  Three  hundred  grains  of  calomel  with 
the  usual  auxiliaries  have  scarcely  touched  my 
liver;"  but  on  the  30th  he  says:  —  "Better 
to-day  than  for  two  months,  and  the  first  day  in 
seventy-five  I  have  not  taken  medicines." 

"April  17.  Attended  an  important  meeting  of 
the  trustees — saw  the  signs  and  indices  of  changes 
deemed  necessary  by  the  Board  to  the  welfare  of 

19 


290       LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

the  university.  Tendered  my  resignation,  which 
the  Board  declined  receiving,  and  requested  I 
would  not  name  the  matter  to  any  one." 

Here  we  see  still  additional  difficulties  growing 
up  in  Dr.  Bascom's  path.  The  trustees  indicated, 
confidentially,  the  changes  they  desired;  this 
measure  would  involve  the  displacement  of  some 
of  his  friends  of  the  faculty,  and  though  required 
ny  the  Board,  the  whole  blame  would  rest  on  him, 
as  he  had  said.  To  avoid  this  unpleasant  conse- 
quence, he  promptly  tendered  his  resignation. 
This,  of  course,  the  Board  declined  accepting,  for 
they  well  knew  that  Bascom's  reputation  had 
attracted  many  students,  and  under  his  adminis- 
tration the  concern  had  enjoyed  a  higher  prosper! t}f 
than  for  many  years  before,  and  they  were,  there- 
fore, unwilling  to  risk  the  consequences  of  his 
separation  from  the  university.  And  he,  knowing 
the  same  thing,  was  unwilling  to  take  the  responsi- 
bility of  deserting  his  unenviable  post  against  the 
expressed  will  of  the  trustees.  He  had,  therefore, 
no  alternative  left  but  to  carry  out  the  instructions 
of  the  Board,  one  part  of  which  was,  that  as  the 
institution  was  intended  to  be  the  concern  of  the 
whole  church,  it  should  be  officered  by  professors 
representing  different  sections  of  the  country. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  in  company  with  Dr. 
Winans  and  his  early  friend,  McMahan,  with 
others,  he  left  Lexington  for  Petersburg,  Virginia, 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  29] 

the  seat  of  the  General  Conference,  and  spent  the 
next  Sabbath  in  Baltimore.  29th,  he  says,  "Went 
to  Washington,  and  in  the  evening  had  a  long 
interview  with  some  fifteen  members  of  Congres  , 
on  the  subject  of  the  great  interests  involved  i  i 
the  controversy  between  the  North  and  the  SoutI . 
on  the  subject  of  slavery." 

I  have  by  me  a  letter  from  a  distinguished 
southern  man  —  now  no  more  —  advising  Bascom 
of  the  time  and  place  of  holding  that  meeting. 
The  design  of  this  meeting  was  not  to  invoke  the 
aid  or  sympathy  of  southern  politicians,  but  rather 
to  put  them  in  possession  of  the  true  position  of 
the  southern  church  in  relation  to  the  laws  of 
the  south,  regulating  the  relations  of  master  and 
servant. 

On  the  30 ih,  Dr.  Bascom  traveled  to  Petersburg, 
and  the  1st  of  May  the  General  Conference  met. 

May  2d.  "  Bp.  A.  and  southern  delegates  — 
absent  yesterday  ■ —  having  arrived,  conference 
proceeded  to  business,  adopting  rules  of  order, 
appointment  committees,  and  providing  for  the 
publication  of  their  proceedings  —  a  great  deal  of 
speaking  to  very  little  purpose.  3d.  Heard  sermons 
by  Dr.  Capers,  Dr.  G.  F.  Pierce,  and  Rev.  W.  M. 
Wightman.  4th.  Conference  progressed  in  its  pro 
iiminaiy  business,  without  doing  anything  of  much 
importance.  I  am  staying  at  the  house  of  D'Arcy 
Paul,  Esq."     This  is    the   last   diary  record    he 


292  LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

appears  ever  to  have  made ;  and  for  this,  rathei 
than  its  own  importance,  it  is  inserted. 

At  this  conference,  it  was  determined  to  create 
two  new  bishops.  Bascom  stood  in  the  foremost 
rank,  as  a  man  of  superior  talents  and  devotion 
to  the  interests  of  the  church ;  he  had  also  been 
thrown  into  the  forefront  of  the  battle,  which 
commenced  at  the  General  Conference  of  1844, 
and  had  been  made  the  subject  of  more  unkind 
remark  and  bitter  reflection,  than  any  other  man 
of  the  southern  church.  Many  of  his  friends, 
therefore,  thought  that  the  church  ought  to  mani- 
fest her  appreciation  of  his  talents,  services,  and 
persecutions  in  her  cause,  and  her  confidence  in 
him,  by  electing  him  to  the  episcopacy.  He  did 
not  desire  the  office,  and  had  he  then  been  elected 
would  almost  certainly  have  resigned  without  being 
ordained ;  yet,  such  an  expression  of  confidence 
would  have  sustained  him  at  a  time  when,  in  other 
quarters,  strong  efforts  were  being  made  to  destroy 
such  confidence,  and  to  depreciate  him  to  the 
greatest  possible  extent. 

Many  of  those,  however,  who  would  have  sup- 
ported him,  believing  that  he  would  not  serve,  if 
elected,  gave  their  suiirages  a  different  direction, 
while  others  resolved  to  vote  for  him  at  all  hazards, 
willing  he  should  resign,  and  more  willing  that  he 
should  serve.  Thus,  it  naturally  enough  came  to 
pass,  that  he  received  a  number  of  votes,  but  not 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  293 

enough  to  elect  him.  This  was  the  very  evil  that 
he  feared  above  all  others,  in  the  case.  Had  he 
not  been  voted  for  at  all,  it  might  have  been 
supposed  that  it  was  because  he  refused ;  but  to 
appear  as  a  candidate,  by  being  voted  for,  and  so 
put  it  into  the  power  of  his  adversaries  to  say  that 
he  sought  the  office,  but  his  southern  friends  had 
not  confidence  in  him,  and  rejected  his  claims; 
this  was  a  source  of  deep  mortification  to  his 
feelings. 

His  feelings  were  communicated  confidentially 
to  a  friend  or  two ;  yet,  he  put  on  no  airs,  nor 
made  any  public  demonstration  of  chagrin,  but, 
like  a  man  of  sense,  went  forward  in  doing  the 
work  assigned  him,  as  if  nothing  had  conflicted 
with  his  wishes. 

When  the  Transylvania  business  came  up,  the 
offer  of  the  trustees  was  accepted,  and  in  accordance 
with  their  instructions,  or  at  least  their  wish,  all 
the  professorships  in  the  literary  department  were 
considered  as  vacant,  to  be  filled  with  men  from 
different  localities.  Dr.  Bascom  was  re-elected 
president ;  G.  F.  Pierce,  D.  D.,  of  Georgia,  vice 
president;  and  Mr.  Barker,  of  Pennsylvania,  to 
the  chair  of  languages ;  leaving  the  other  chairs 
to  be  filled  by  the  curators. 

Here  was  more  trouble  for  Bascom ;  his  friends 
and  colleagues  were  ejected  from  their  places,  not 
by  his  seeking,  but  by  the  action  of  the  General 


j94  life  of  bishop  bascom. 

Conference,  following  the  suggestions  of  the 
trustees;  yet  well  he  knew  that  the  burden  of 
b]ame  would  fall  on  his  head.  And  so  it  proved; 
for  one  or  more  of  the  discarded  professors,  thinking 
their  labors  and  sacrifices  deserved  a  better  reward, 
and  charging  all  their  misfortunes  in  the  matter  to 
Dr.  Bascom's  account,  became  exceedingly  inimical 
to  him,  and  openly  hostile  to  the  institution.  He 
was  even  threatened  with  impeachment  before  his 
conference ;  yet  he  was  under  an  injunction  of 
secrecy,  and  might  not  disclose  the  hidden  agencies 
by  which  the  result  was  brought  about.  All  the 
persecution  and  mental  perplexity  cast  on  Dr. 
Bascom  by  this  ch;inge,  had  not  even  the  redeem- 
ing advantage  of  working  any  good  for  the  college, 
for  under  the  new  arrangement  it  soon  became  less 
prosperous  than  under  the  old.  What  though 
they  had  elected  professors  from  Georgia,  and 
Pennsylvania,  and  Louisiana  —  Georgia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  Louisiana  had  Methodist  colleges  of 
their  own  to  support,  and  all  the  eloquence  of  all 
the  agents  appointed  to  travel  through  the  southern 
church,  could  not  make  the  people  see  how  they 
were  to  be  benefited  by  neglecting  their  home 
colleges,  to  patronize  a  mere  college  in  Kentucky, 
even  though  a  man  from  their  own  state  might 
be  the  incumbent  of  oileTof  its  chairs. 

The  General  Conference  provided  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Southern  Methodist  Quarterly,  and 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  295 

elected  Dr.  Bascom  its  editor.  He  was  also 
appointed  one  of  the  commissioners  on  the  part  of 
the  South  to  settle  our  difficulties  with  the  North, 
respecting  a  division  of  the  joint  property. 

He  had  now  a  burden  of  labor,  care  and  respon- 
sibility, resting  on  him  sufficiently  heavy  to  crush 
almost  any  man,  physically  and  mentally — the 
colleges,  the  Quarterly,  the  commissionership,  and 
his  own  personal  affairs.  In  the  college  and  for  it 
he  labored  indefatigably  —  performed  the  duties 
of  instruction  and  government,  sought  out  the 
most  competent  agents  and  sent  them  in  quest  of 
funds,  procured  students,  and  gave  his  personal 
responsibility  for  the  payment  of  its  debts;  but 
all  would  not  avail ;  outside  of  Kentucky  no  one 
could  feel  interested  in  giving  money  to  sustain  it, 
and  within  that  state  there  was  evidently  less 
responsibility  felt,  and  therefore  less  eflbrt,  because 
it  was  nominally  an  institution  of  the  whole  church, 
and  the  people  there  could  not  see  why  they  alone 
should  support  a  college  belonging  alike  to  the 
church  throughout  the  south. 

The  Quarterly  was  an  untried  experiment,  and 
without  funds  to  pay  for  suitable  articles,  without 
writers  to  contribute  gratuitously,  and  without 
leisure  to  make  up  the  whole  work  of  his  own 
productions,  he  found  it  exceedingly  difficult  to 
fill  the  work  with  acceptable  matter ;  and  to  fill  it 
as  he  wished  —  impossible. 


296        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

The  duties  of  the  commissionership,  too,  he 
found  laborious  and  perplexing  in  a  high  degree. 
He  had  to  write  many  letters,  consult  with  his 
colleagues,  make  repeated  journeys  to  the  east, 
visit  the  Northern  General  Conference,  employ 
counsel,  write  and  publish  an  extensive  exposition 
of  the  whole  affair,  etc. 

In  the  meantime,  his  pecuniary  affairs  were 
becoming  so  desperate,  that  immediate  temporal 
ruin  appeared  inevitable.  The  cancer  that  con- 
sumed his  vitals,  was  carefully  concealed  from 
even  his  friends,  and  few,  therefore,  had  any  idea 
of  the  nature  and  extent  of  his  involvements. 

In  the  winter  of  1846-7,  an  observant  friend, 
lodging  in  the  same  apartment  with  him,  detected 
indications  of  deep  mental  inquietude  —  sought, 
and  finally  found  the  cause  of  it  in  the  hopeless 
condition  of  his  financial  affairs,  and  set  about 
devising  the  means  of  present  relief  Through 
his  agency,  a  nominal  loan  was  procured  from  a 
number  of  southern  gentlemen,  in  sums  of  five 
hundred  dollars  and  less,  the  whole  amounting  to 
some  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  I  have  called  this 
a  nominal  loan,  because  it  was  not  the  intention  of 
his  friend,  that  he  should  either  receive  it  origi- 
nally as  a  donation,  or  have  it  to  refund  in  the 
end,  and  so  it  was  finally  arranged.  This  sum 
greatly  relieved  him,  and  had  the  effect  of  a 
charm,  in  restoring  his  mind  to  cheerfulness.     A 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  297 

few  of  his  friends  now  urged  upon  him  the 
necessity  of  setting  immediately  about  preparing 
sermons,  lectures,  addresses,  and  other  works, 
which  he  was  known  to  have  on  hand  in  a  crude 
state,  for  publication ;  and  thus,  during  this  tem- 
porary respite,  create  a  source  of  income  to  meet 
other  claims  which  would,  ere  long,  be  upon  him. 
With  this  advice,  he  determined  to  comply;  but 
his  progress,  owing  to  the  multiplicity  of  other 
cares  and  labors,  was  but  slow;  so  that  most  of  his 
productions,  if  they  should  ever  see  the  light  at 
all,  must  meet  the  public  eye  without  the  advan- 
tage of  his  finishing  touches  and  matured  revision. 

In  1848,  he  attended  the  Northern  General 
Conference,  as  commissioner  of  the  Southern 
Church;  but  his  services  in  that  capacity  need 
not  be  particularly  spoken  of  here. 

In  1849,  being  satisfied  that  the  church  could 
never  be  brought  to  unite  on  Morrison  College  as 
a  general  church  institution,  and  suspecting  that 
the  trustees  were  hardly  satisfied  with  his  exer- 
tions in  behalf  of  the  college- — strenuous  and 
persevering  as  they  had  been,  and  worn  out  with 
the  drudgery  and  endless  perplexity  of  his  office  — 
he  resigned  the  presidency,  which  he  had  held  in 
the  university  for  seven  toilsome  years. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

Dr.  B.  em]>loys  himself  in  preparing  a  Volume  of  his  Sermons  foi 
the  Press,  which  is  published  early  in  1850  —  Its  Reception  —  He 
is  solicited  to  be  a  Candidate  for  the  Episcopacy  —  At  the  General 
Conference  reports  the  doings  of  Commissioners,  which  are  unani- 
mously Approved  —  Notice  of  his  Services  as  Editor  of  Quarterly 

—  Action  of  the  Conference  dissolving  the  connection  with 
Transylvania  —  Dr.  Bascom  elected  Bishop  —  His  Election  gave 
very  General  Satisfaction  —  An  Untruthful  Representation  on  this 
Subject  Corrected  (Note)  —  He  Returns  Home  and  Prepares  to 
start  on  his  Official  Tour  to  the  St.  Louis  Conference  —  Leaves 
home  in  Bad  Health  —  Presides  and  Preaches  with  great  Appro- 
bation—  Resolution  of  the  Conference — Visits  different  Places 
and  Preaches  —  Reaches  St.  Louis,  and  Preaches  his  Last  Sermon 

—  Arrives  at  LouisAille  —  Attempts  to  proceed  home,  but  is 
compelled  to  Return,  takes  his  bed,  and  receive  Medical  Treatment 

—  Resignation  —  Dr.  Stevenson's  Account  of  his  Illness  —  His 
Wife  comes  to  him  —  The  Closing  Scene  —  Funeral  Solemnities 

—  General  Expressions  of  Sorrow. 

During  the  year  that  intervened  between  this 
period  and  the  meeting  of  the  General  Conference, 
he  devoted  himself  to  the  Quarterly,  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  volume  of  his  sermons  for  the  press,  and 
to  his  private  affairs. 

In    the  beginning  of  1850  a  volume   of  Dr. 
Bascom's  sermons  was  published,  and  met  a  warm 
reception  and  ready  sale.     Indeed,  few  works  of 
the  kind  in  this  country  have  been  so  well  received 
— the  sales  exceeding  twenty  thousand  copies. 

It  was  lauded   alike  by   the   secular  and  the 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  299 

religious  press,  —  by  M  ethodist  editors  and  those 
of  other  denominations.  These  sermons,  as  their 
title  indicates,  were  not  written  for  publication,  but 
were  originally  mere  outlines  or  skeletons  from 
which  he  preached,  or  rather  studied,  his  sermons 

—  for  he  did  not  use  them  in  the  pulpit  —  in  the 
earlier  periods  of  his  ministry.  They  were  subse- 
quently amplified  as  the  author's  views  expanded 

—  for  the  same  use  —  until  they  grew  to  what  we 
now  find  them  in  their  printed  form. 

To  those  who  heard  them  from  the  glowing  lips 
of  the  living  preacher  they  have  a  richer  value,  a 
deeper  interest  than  if  they  had  been  carefully 
written  for  the  eye  and  not  the  ear,  for  in  their 
present  form  they  call  up  associations  of  the  past 
of  the  delightful  character  that  we  love  to  dwell 
on,  and  one  seems  not  so  much  to  read  Bascom's 
sermon  as  to  hear  Bascom  preach ;  the  living 
orator  is  present  in  the  mind's  associations  and 
recollections,  and  you  see  the  impressive  gesture, 
the  speaking  eye  again,  and  again  hear  the  clear 
ring  of  his  trumpet  voice  in  the  grove,  and  still 
the  weeping,  rejoicing,  enraptured  congregation  are 
around  you:  The  whole  scene  is  brought  back, 
and  with  it  the  delightful  feeling  that  then 
softened,  and  enlarged,  and  gladdened  your  heart 
Those  who  have  never  heard  the  speaker  will,  of 
course,  not  enjoy  equal  advantages. 

This  one  thingi;  is  worthy  of  remark  in  relatiou 


300  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

to  all  Bascom's  sermons ;  grand  and  gorgeous  as 
was  his  style,  his  subjects  were  of  the  most  solemn 
and  important  character.  He  never  selected  a 
subject  because  it  was  favorable  to  fine  declama- 
tion ;  on  the  contrary,  the  great  doctrines  and 
duties  of  Christianity  found  a  place  in  all  his 
sermons,  and  in  all,  the  atonement  was  the  great 
standpoint  from  which  he  looked  abroad  over  the 
field  of  theology — the  centre  of  gravity  to  which 
all  his  discourses  tended. 

In  the  spring  of  1850,  as  the  time  for  the 
General  Conference  drew  near,  the  public  mind 
began  to  cast  about  for  a  suitable  person  for  the 
episcopal  office.  Dr.  Bascom  was  among  the 
number  of  persons  prominently  spoken  of  for 
that  post ;  but  it  was  doubted  whether  under  any 
circumstances  he  would  permit  his  name  to  be 
used  in  that  connection.  An  intimate  friend  was 
therefore  requested  to  open  a  confidential  corres- 
pondence with  him  on  the  subject.  Bascom  had 
previously  made  up  his  mind  not  to  consent  that 
his  brethren  should  again  cast  their  votes  for 
him  for  that  office,  and  assigned  various  reasons 
for  this  determination  —  such  as  his  pecuniary 
difficulties,  his  long  confinement  to  college  labors, 
by  which,  as  he  said,  he  had  in  a  measure  lost  his 
high  tone  of  religious  feeling,  so  essential  to  the 
proper  discharge  of  the  functions  of  that  sacred 
office,  and  concluded  by  saying  :     "  I  cannot  ^on- 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCCM.  801 

sent  to  be  put  under  the  fearfal  responsibilities  of 
that  office,  unless  I  could  be  convinced  that  my 
duty  to  God  and  the  church  required  the  sacrifice ; 
but  how  is  it  possible  that  I  can  receive  such  a 
conviction  when  so  many  other  names  are  before 
the  church  for  the  same  office,  and  certainly  in 
some  respects,  if  not  in  all,  better  qualified  for  it 
than  I  can  claim  to  be  ?  " 

There  was  also  an  objection  brought  against 
him  by  many  of  the  preachers,  as  a  candidate  for 
the  episcopacy ;  it  was,  that  of  late  years  he  had 
adopted  the  habit  of  preaching  generally  from  his 
manuscripts;  this  habit,  it  was  urged,  would  not 
be  tolerated  in  a  Methodist  Bishop.  The  fiict  was, 
that  in  his  palmy  days  he  never  preached  either 
from  memory  or  manuscript,  but  from  careful  and 
laborious  study  of  his  subjects;  but  when  he 
became  the  subject  of  bronchial  affection,  which 
required  moderation  in  his  pulpit  labors,  he  resorted 
to  reading  as  the  most  effectual  way  of  putting  a 
necessary  restraint  on  his  excessive  pulpit  efforts. 
The  expedient  was  effectual,  to  be  sure,  in  imposing 
restraint  on  his  vehemence  of  delivery,  but  equally 
effectual  in  quenching  the  fire  and  weakening  the 
power  of  his  eloquence;  and  well  did  Mr.  Clay 
say :  "  Bascom  should  never  be  allowed  to  read  his 
sermons ;  preaching  is  his  forte  —  but  he  cannot 
read ;  but  he  can  preach,  and  he  must  preach  1  " 

When    the    disease    which    superinduced    this 


302  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

habit  had  abated,  his  constant  press  of  college  and 
other  labors,  which  allowed  him  no  leisure  for 
pulpit  preparation  on  his  former  plan,  became  the 
apology  for  continuing  a  habit  which  he  condemned 
as  unsparingly  as  any  of  his  brethren.  Indeed,  he 
preached  so  seldom  that  he  in  a  great  measure  lost 
confidence  in  himself,  and  became  timid  about 
trusting  himself  in  the  pulpit  without  those  embar- 
rassing auxiliaries.  But  while  he  seemed  to  find 
a  justification  of  himself  in  the  practice,  he  readily 
agreed  that  a  Bishop  ought  by  no  means,  on  any 
thing  like  ordinary  occasions,  to  read  his  sermons, 
because  of  the  pernicious  effect  of  the  example  — 
seeming  to  forget  that  his  own  example  would  be 
more  influential  without  that  office,  than  that  of 
most  other  men  with  it. 

This  confession  was  sufficient  to  satisfy  his 
friends ;  for  they  well  knew  that  what  he  admitted 
to  be  improper  in  a  bishop,  he  would  not  do  if  he 
were  made  a  bishop. 

At  the  General  Conference  Dr.  Bascom  reported 
the  doings  of  the  commissioners  respecting  the 
matters  in  controversy  between  the  Northern  and 
the  Southern  Methodist  Church,  and  had  the 
satisfaction  to  find  those  proceedings  approved  by 
the  unanimous  vote  of  that  body. 

At  this  General  Conference  Dr.  Bascom's  term 
of  service  expired,  as  editor  of  the  Quarterly 
Review.      In   this   office  he  had   labored   uudei 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  303 

circumstances  of  great  disadvantage  —  circum- 
stances, which  would  have  caused  a  failure  on  the 
part  of  any  but  a  mind  of  superior  energy  and 
talent ;  but  in  his  hands  it  had  grown  into  respect- 
ability, and  had  acquired  rank  and  reputation  with 
the  best  Quarterlies  of  the  country,  and  had 
elicited  flattering  commendation  from  men  and 
periodicals  of  the  first  class.  A  highly  respectable 
cotemporary  bears  testimony  in  favor  of  the  work 
in  the  language  below: 

"  We  have  inadvertantly  omitted  for  some  time 
past  to  notice  this  highly  valuable  and  interesting 
periodical.  We  would  that  all  of  our  readers  could 
avail  themselves  of  the  rich  intellectual  treasures 
of  its  instructive  pages.  To  the  literati,  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  say,  it  is  edited  by  the  eloquent  and 
accomplished  Dr.  Bascom  ;  and  it  is  only  necessary 
to  say  to  all,  that  its  pages  are  diversified  with 
•iterary,  scientific,  moral  and  religious  matter,  which 
;annot  fail  to  interest  and  edify  every  reader." 

The  afiairs  of  Transylvania  College  were,  at  this 
conference,  taken  up,  and  the  committee  on  educa- 
tion made  a  report,  evidently  based  on  the  views 
we  have  herein  presented  of  the  subject  —  that  as 
none  of  the  annual  conferences  out  of  Kentucky 
could  be  brought  by  their  interest  to  affiliate  with 
that  institution,  "its  interests  would  be  more 
advantageously  secured  and  managed  by  the 
Kentucky  and  Louisville  annual  conferences  than 


304  LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

by  a  continuance  of  existing  relations,"  and  recom^ 
mending,  if  the  approval  of  those  conferences  and 
the  trustees  should  be  had,  that  such  a  connection 
should  be  formed  instead  of  the  existing  one. 
Here  ended  the  connection  of  the  General  Con- 
ference with  Morrison  college  and  Transylvania 
university  —  a  connection  which  never  should  have 
been  formed  on  the  terms,  and  under  the  restrictions 
which  embarrassed  it,  and  rendered  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  object  contemplated  impossible. 

There  never  has  been  a  more  resolute  and  earnest 
effort  made  to  sustain  an  institution  where  interest 
was  not  on  its  side,  but  indeed  in  opposition  to  it, 
as  was  the  case  everywhere  out  of  Kentucky;  but 
when  Dr.  Bascom  was  severed  from  it  the  last  link 
was  broken,  and  the  annual  conferences  felt  bound 
to  concentrate  all  their  efforts  on  their  local 
colleges. 

The  committee  on  the  episcopacy  reported  in 
favor  of  electing  an  additional  bishop,  and  the 
conference  adopted  the  report.  The  election  came 
on,  and  on  the  second  balloting  Dr.  Bascom  was 
elected  to  the  episcopacy  by  a  large  majority.  On 
the  Sabbath  next  succeeding,  after  delivering  a 
sermon  on  the  "Cross  of  Christ" — since  published 
—  he  descend.--d  from  the  pulpit,  and,  by  the 
venerable  Bishop  Soule,  with  the  aid  of  the  other 
bishops,  was  solemnly  consecrated  to  the  episcopal 
office. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  305 

All  appeared  to  be  well  satisfied  with  this  result; 
even  those  who,  from  local  or  personal  considera- 
tions had  voted  for  other  candidtites,  received  Dr. 
Bascom  with  as  warm  cordiality  as  they  could 
those  for  whom  their  votes  were  cast :  The  bishops 
then  in  office  welcomed  him  to  their  bench  as  a 
compeer  honored  and  beloved  j"^  and  the  whole 
church  seemed  to  hail  the  event  with  pleasure  and 
delightful  anticipations.  Even  persons  not  con- 
nected with  the  church  were  forward  to  manifest 
their  gratification  with  Dr.  Bascom's  elevation. 
An  instance  of  this  occurred  presently  after  his 
ordination.  So  soon  as  it  became  publicly  known 
that  he  would  preside  in  the  St.  Louis  conference, 
more  than  twenty  of  the  principal  citizens  of 
Jefferson  City — the  capital  of  Missouri — addressed 
a  joint  note  to  the  Bishop  earnestly  requesting  him 
to  visit  their  city,  and  concluding  with  "assurances 
of  our  high  regard  for  your  character  as  a  Christian 
minister,  and  confidence  in  your  ability  to  discharge 
the  responsible  trust  recently  committed  to  you. 
we  have  the  honor,"  &c. 

*  An  attempt  was  made  presently  after  Dr.  Bascom's  advancement 
to  the  episcopacy,  by  a  paper  in  the  interest  of  abolitionism,  to  cast  a 
shade  upon  his  character,  by  alleging,  or  at  least  sti*ongly  intimating, 
that  his  elevation  was  much  against  the  wish  of  the  other  bishops, 
who,  it  is  assumed,  had  not  confidence  in  his  capacity  or  his 
integrity.  It  is  not  necessary  to  say  more  in  reply  than  that  the 
writer  has  the  means  of  knowing  that  Dr.  Bascom's  election  was  very 
gratifying  to  three  of  the  bishops  then  in  oflBce,  and  he  bdieves  the 
same  to  be  true  of  the  fourth. 


306  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

After  the  adjournment  of  the  General  Conference, 
Bishop  Bascom  returned  home,  and  set  about 
arranging  his  affairs  preparatory  to  entering  upon 
the  duties  of  his  office.  In  the  distribution  oi. 
episcopal  labors  it  was  agreed  that  he  should  attend 
the  session  of  the  St.  Louis  annual  conference, 
which  was  appointed  to  be  held  on  the  10th  of 
July  following,  at  Independence,  Mo.  His  health 
was  very  bad  during  this  period,  and  as  disease 
prevailed  extensively  through  the  country,  he 
painfully  forebod  sd  the  bad  effects  likely  to  result 
from  his  necessary  exposure  and  labor  on  his  first 
episcopal  tour.  On  the  27th  June,  (1850,)  in  a 
letter  to  the  writer  he  said:  —  "I  start  to  the  St. 
Louis  conference,  at  Independence,  July  10th — 
on  Monday  next,  and  expect  to  be  back  about  the 
2oth.  I  have  had  no  good  health  since  my  return 
from  the  General  Conference,  and  I  very  much 
d^ead  this  trip." 

In  this  state  of  health  —  the  weather  extremely 
b'>t,  the  streams  low,  and  cholera  rife  on  the  rivers 
and  through  many  parts  of  the  country,  he  started 
0^1  his  tour,  and  with  great  difficulty  and  frequent 
detention,  made  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  and  thence 
ap  the  Missouri  river,  to  the  seat  of  the  conference. 
He  had  allowed  himself  what  appeared  to  be  ample 
time,  but  navigation  was  so  difficult  that  he  did 
not  reach  Independence  until  Saturday,  the  fourth 
day  of  the  conference. 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  307 

After  the  close  of  the  conference  the  Secretary 
of  that  body  wrote  :  —  *^  On  Saturday  Bishop  Bas- 
com  reached  us,  and  ou  Sabbath  preached  in  a 
grove  adjoining  the  city  to  an  immense  multitude, 
estimated  at  three  thousand  persons.  He  disap- 
pointed us,  but  most  agreeably ;  without  a  single 
note  he  gave  a  most  clear  and  plain  exposition  of 
the  sacred  text,  adapted  to  the  comprehension  of 
every  mind  We  have  heard  but  one  opinion 
expressed  of  this  effort  —  that  it  was  classically 
chaste,  eloquent,  and  masterly." 

The  conference,  during  its  session,  adopted  the 
following  resolution : 

"Resolved,  by  the  St.  Louis  Annual  Conference 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  that  we 
take  sincere  pleasure  in  bearing  testimony  to  the 
ability  impartiality,  and  urbanity  with  which  Bishop 
Bascom  has  presided  over  the  deliberations  of  this 
conference,  and  to  the  dignified  and  affectionate 
intercourse  which  he  has  maintained  with  its  mem- 
bers, endearing  him  to  us  as  one  of  our  chief 
ministers.  While  we  record  with  peculiar  satis- 
faction, that  ours  is  the  first  conference  over  which 
he  has  presided  since  his  election  to  the  office  of 
Bishop  in  the  Church  of  God,  we  congratulate  the 
whole  Southern  Church  on  this  acquisition  to  the 
general  superintendency,  and  confidently  predict 
that  the  distinguished  ability  which  has  character- 
ized his  services  in  the  several  spheres  of  labor 


308  LIFF   OF    BISHOP   BASOOM. 

heretofore  assigned  him  by  the  church,  will  be 
emininently  displayed  in  the  new  and  higher  one 
to  which  she  has  now  called  him." 

After  the  conference  closed.  Bishop  Bascom 
visited  the  Indian  Manual  Labor  School,  at  Fort 
Leavenworth,  with  which  he  was  greatly  pleased. 
He  also  visited  and  preached  on  his  tour,  at 
Weston,  Boonville,  Lexington,  and  St.  Louis.  He 
reached  the  last  named  place  —  St.  Louis  —  on 
Sabbath  morning,  the  boat  having  failed  to  arrive 
at  the  appointed  time,  and  took  a  room  at  the 
hotel  at  which  he  was  accustomed  to  stop.  A 
friend,  hearing  of  his  arrival,  called  on  him,  and  I 
give  the  account  furnished  by  that  gentleman,  of 
the  interview  : 

"  On  entering  his  room,  I  found  him  pacing  the 
floor,  evidently  under  some  excitement  of  feeling. 
He,  however,  took  my  hand  with  more  than  his 
usual  warmth,  at  the  same  time  exclaiming,  'Bro. 
C,  I  am  sick  —  have  been  taking  opium  for 
twenty-four  hours,  but  it  does  not  relieve  me,  yet 
I  hope  it  will  soon  pass  off;  God  only  knows.'  '  I 
have  called,'  said  I,  '  at  the  instance  of  many 
friends,  to  know  if  you  will  consent  to  preach 
to-day.'  '  Brother,'  said  he,  '  I  am  unable  to 
preach.  I  have  not  slept  during  the  night;  but 
suddenly  stopping  short,  he  added,  after  a  momen- 
tary pauoO,  '  It  is  possible,  however,  that  I  may  not 
have  another  opportunity;  so,  if  you  will  procure 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  309 

me  a  congregation,  I  will  preach  at  three  o'clock.' 
He  preached  that  afternoon  to  a  crowded  house  of 
attentive  hearers,  with  more  than  usual  liberty 
and  power — much  more  so,  than  at  the  General 
Conference  some  two  months  previous.  Those 
who  heard  him  in  the  most  brilliant  of  his  pulpit 
efforts  twenty  years  ago,  were  forcibly  reminded 
of  his  sermons  in  those  days.  His  text  was  — 
'God,  tuho  at  sundrif  times  and  in  divers  manners, 
spoke  unto  the  fathers  hy  the  'prophets,  hath,  in 
these  last  days,  spoken  unto  us  hy  His  Son.'  He 
preached  about  two  hours,  and  greatly  exhausted 
himself  by  the  effort." 

This  was  his  last  sermon.  The  next  morning 
he  left  St.  Louis  for  his  home,  and  on  the  2d  of 
August,  arrived  at  Louisville,  Kentucky.  The 
Louisville  Christian  Advocate  announced  his  re- 
turn, and  remarked :  — 

"  The  bishop  was  greatly  delighted  with  the 
spirit  of  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the  interests 
of  primitive  Methodism,  which,  he  thinks,  has 
been,  and  is  still  being  evinced,  by  the  members 
of  the  conference.  In  fine,  he  has  made  the  tour 
under  circumstances  the  most  unfavorable  —  in 
the  midst  of  disease  and  death ;  but,  through  the 
abundant  mercy  of  God,  his  life  has  been  preserved, 
and  he  returns  home,  bearing  with  him  sentiments 
of  the  highest  regard  for  those  with  whom  his  lot 
has  bf^^''  cast,  and  with  feelings  of  the  most  afFec- 


310        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

tionate  gratitude  for  the  numerous  acts  of  Christian 
courtesy,  kindness,  and  hospitality  that  he  has 
experienced  during  his  absence.  Long  may  he 
live  as  an  honor  to  the  ministry,  and  as  a  blessing 
to  the  church,  in  the  present  important  relation 
that  he  sustains."  This  wish,  however,  was  not  to 
be  realized. 

Bishop  Bascom's  toils  and  exposures  in  a  sickly 
season,  had  implanted  the  seeds  of  deep  disease 
in  the  strong  predisposing  and  susceptible  condition 
of  his  system ;  and,  after  reaching  Louisville,  he 
became  so  ill,  as  to  be  utterly  unfit  to  proceed ; 
but  his  earnest  desire  to  reach  home,  before  the 
coming  on  of  the  more  serious  attack,  foreboded 
by  his  symptoms  and  feelings,  inclined  him  to 
run  some  risk  to  accomplish  this  object.  Accord- 
ingly, he  had  himself  booked  for  the  morning 
stage,  and  then  spent  a  sick  night  at  the  house  of 
Rev.  Dr.  Stevenson.  About  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  he  was  called  for,  and  against  the 
remonstrance  of  friends,  took  his  departure,  hoping 
to  be,  that  night,  with  his  own  family,  but  the 
stage  had  scarcely  passed  the  city  limits,  when  he 
found  himself  utterly  too  sick  to  proceed. 

His  sickness  was  attended  with  such  symptoms 
as  induced  some  of  the  passengers  to  suspect  that 
it  was  cholera.  Quite  a  panic  was  created  in  the 
stage,  and  it  was  proposed  to  put  him  out  on  the 
roadside  in  the  dark.     Against   this  proceeding, 


LIFE    OP    BISHOP    BASCOxM.  311 

one  passenger  earnestly  protested ;  and  when  the 
driver  came  to  understand  what  was  proposed,  he 
positively  affirmed  that  it  should  not  be  done, 
"  What,  then,  will  you  do  with  him?"  was  inquired. 
"  Take  him  back,"  responded  the  driver,  "  at  the 
risk  of  my  life ;"  and  accordingly  he  did  so.  In 
about  an  hour  after  his  departure,  he  was  brought 
back  to  the  house  of  Dr.  Stevenson,  and  carried 
to  his  bed.  Medical  aid  was  called  in,  and  every 
possible  effort  made  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the 
malady,  but  with  only  temporary  alleviation.  Yet, 
through  all,  by  patient  resignation,  he  exemplified 
the  sustaining  power  of  that  gospel  which,  so  long 
and  successfully,  he  had  preached  to  others. 

Dr.  Stevenson,  who  was  with  him  day  and  night, 
and  at  whose  house  he  lay,  says  of  him : 

"During  the  whole  period  of  his  painful  and 
protracted  illness,  he  was  never  heard  to  utter  the 
first  murmuring  or  complaining  word.  He  bore 
his  afflictions  throughout  with  that  manly  fortitude, 
patience  and  resignation  to  the  Divine  will,  for 
which  he  had  so  long  been  pre-eminently  distin- 
guished. I  always  found  him,  on  entering  hi? 
room,  calm,  self-possessed,  and,  when  spoken  to 
perfectly  rational. 

"From  the  commencement  of  his  attack,  he 
appeared  to  be  deeply  impressed  with  the  certainty 
of  his  approaching  dissolution.  On  different  occa- 
sions he  said  to  me,  when  no  one  was  present  but 


312  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

myself:  ^Brother  Stevenson^  my  disease  is  untouched; 
I  am  no  better  —  I  do  not  think  that  I  shall  ever 
recover  I  my  physicians  have  done  the  best  they  could 

—  my  only  trust  is  in  Almighty  goodness.^ 
"When  prayer  was  proposed,  as  it  frequently 

was  in  the  early  stages  of  his  disease,  he  always 
promptly  assented ;  and,  when  not  writhing  in 
agony,  he  invariably  joined  in  the  petitions  with 
much  apparent  interest  and  feeling. 

"  Some  six  or  seven  days  previous  to  his  death, 
I  informed  him  that  I  was  about  to  mail  some 
letters  to  Bishop  Andrew,  at  the  seat  of  the 
Western  Virginia  Conference,  and  asked  him  if 
he  had  any  communications  to  make  to  the  bishop  ? 
He  looked  at  me  with  much  interest,  ^Yes,  say 
to  Bishop  Andrew,  from  me,  that  I  am  utterly 
prostrate,  with  but  little,  if  any,  hope  of  recovery 

—  that  I  am  incapable  of  thinking  or  acting  on 
any  subject;  and  after  a  moment's  pause,  he 
added  —  "but  say  to  him,  that  all  my  trust  and 
confidence  is  in  Almighty  goodness,  as  revealed  in 
the  cross  of  Christ'  These  last  words  he  uttered 
with  im  emphasis  that  can  never  be  erased  from 
my  memory.  He  could  say  no  more  —  I  retii^ed, 
leaving  him  in  tears." 

His  little  daughter  was  seriously  ill  at  home  at 
the  same  tinr.e,  in  consequence  of  which  his  wife 
did  not  reach  him  until  ten  days  before  his  death. 
At   first,  for  a  while,  she  entertained  strong  hope 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  313 

of  his  recovery ;  but  in  a  few  days  yielded  to  the 
sad  conviction,  that,  without  a  speedy  change  for 
the  better,  he  could  not  live.  From  the  nature  of 
his  disease,  he  was  little  inclined  to  conversation  — 
indeed  spoke  seldom  and  little.  One  of  the  most 
devoted  of  fathers,  he  yet  never  spoke  of  his 
children ;  for  this  he  knew  would  tend  to  disturb 
his  tranquillity  in  the  conflict  that  called  for  all  his 
fortitude  and  self-possession.  On  Thursday  and 
Friday  preceding  his  death,  he  suffered  extremely, 
and  his  stomach  would  receive  nothing.  Dr.  Bright 
watched  with  him  all  Friday  night,  and  when  at 
length  he  succeeded  in  getting  medicine  to  take 
effect,  the  bishop  grew  more  easy,  and  could  take 
a  little  nourishment  at  times.  About  one  o'clock 
on  Sabbath  morning  —  the  8th  September  —  he 
grew  restless,  and  tossing  from  side  to  side,  com- 
plained of  weariness,  and  desired  rest,  but  could 
not  compose  himself  to  sleep.  About  seven 
o'clock  on  Sabbath  morning,  he  was  helped  up,  at 
his  desire,  but  presently  had  a  spasm  or  fainting 
fit.  He  was  laid  down,  restoratives  applied,  and 
the  physician  and  friends  sent  for.  In  the  midst 
of  the  alarm  he  recovered,  opened  his  eyes,  and 
calmly  smiled.  "  Never  mind,  wife,"  said  he,  "  I 
am  better  now,  and  don't  want  the  doctor."  It 
now  became  evident  that  his  naturally  powerful 
constitution  could  hold  out  no  longer  against  the 
desti'oyer,  and  that  his  end  was  just  at  hand.     Dr. 


314  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASDOM. 

Bright,  the  oldest  physician  in  attendance  and  a 
local  minister,  was  appointed  to  break  the  gloomy 
intelligence  to  him.  He  informed  the  bishop  that 
he  could  live  but  a  short  time,  and  inquired,  "  Is 
your  confidence  in  your  God  and  your  Saviour  still 
strong  and  unshaken  ? "  He  promptly  replied, 
"Yes,  Yes,  Yes." 

"He  then  desired  to  be  turned  over  on  his  right 
side,"  says  Dr.  Stevenson,  "  which  being  done,  he 
placed  both  his  hands  in  those  of  his  afflicted  wife, 
who  sat  at  his  side  —  gave  us  all  a  last  intelligible 
parting  look,  and  then,  without  a  struggle  or  groan, 
breathed  his  last."  Bascom,  the  prince  of  pulpit 
orators,  was  dead  !  Death  had  triumphed  over  a 
noble  specimen  of  physical  manhood;  but  grace 
had  enabled  a  nobler  spirit  to  triumph  over  death, 
and  had  made  his  dark  prison  house  but  a  subter- 
ranean passage  from  "  gloom  to  glory." 

Most  opportunely,  it  was  the  calm  rest  of  the 
Sabbath,  when  Bascom  entered  upon  his  eternal 
Sabbath  rest,  and  the  very  hour,  too,  of  the 
Sabbath,  at  which,  so  many  hundreds  of  times,  he 
had  opened  his  mouth  before  admiring  thousands, 
to  proclaim  the  glorious  salvation  by  Christ  Jesus 
the  Lord,  and  the  heavenly  rest,  that  "  remains 
for  the  people  of  God." 

By  lightning  couriers,  the  gloom-inspiring  intel- 
ligence was  swiftly  borne  over  the  nation,  and  ere 
the  fresh  corpse  was  laid  down  in  its  charnel  bed, 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  315 

thousands,  tens  of  thousands,  all  over  the  land, 
were  mournmg  in  unison  the  church's  sad  beieave- 
ment,  and  in  spirit  joined  the  weeping  multitude 
that  moved  in  solemn  procession  to  his  grave. 

Tuesday,  September  10th,  at  ten  o'clock,  was 
the  time  fixed  on  for  the  funeral  obsequies ;  and 
though  in  a  busy  commercial  city,  thousands 
assembled  to  pay  their  last  tribute  of  respect  to 
the  great  departed. 

The  funeral  solemnities  were  introduced  by 
Rev.  Dr.  Parsons,  who  read  a  number  of  solemn 
passages  of  sacred  scripture  appropriate  to  the 
occasion,  in  his  most  impressive  manner.  This 
was  followed  by  singing  the  hymn,  commencing  — 

"  Servant  of  God,  well  done  ! 
Rest  from  thy  loved  employ,"  etc. 

"  The  effect,"  says  Dr.  Stevenson,  "  was  over- 
whelming. Much  feeling  pervaded  the  entire 
assembly  during  the  singing,  and  under  the  very 
solemn  and  impressive  prayer  which  he  offered  up 
on  the  occasion  to  the  throne  of  the  heavenly 
grace.  The  vast  assembly  was  then  addressed 
for  a  few  moments  by  Rev.  Wm.  Holem-m,  (being 
the  oldest  Methodist  minister  present.)  He  had 
long  known,  admired,  and  ardently  loved  the 
deceased,  and  was  too  deeply  affected  to  proceed 
with  many  remarks.  lie  spoke  with  much  feeling 
and  interest  of  his  Christian -experience  —  call  to 
the  ministry  —  self-sacrificing  labors  —  and  unim- 


316  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM 

peachable  rectitude  of  character  and  conduct 
throughout  the  whole  period  of  his  ministry." 

He  was  followed  by  Dr.  Sehon,  who  delivered 
a  feeling,  eloquent,  and  effective  oration. 

The  services  at  the  church  were  closed,  with  an 
impressive  prayer  by  Rev.  Dr.  Linn. 

"  The  remains  of  the  deceased  were  then  con- 
veyed to  the  Eastern  Cemetery,  or  Methodist 
burying-ground,  attended  by  a  numerous  proces- 
sion of  hacks  and  carriages,  crowded  with  weeping 
friends  and  acquaintances."" 

Before  the  coffin  was  committed  to  the  vault, 
the  funeral  service  of  the  church  was  read  b} 
Rev.  Dr.  Stevenson.  The  service  was  closed  by 
singing  the  beautifully  solemn  hymn  — 

"  Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave,"  etc. 

The  body  was  then  committed  to  the  tomb,  and 
the  sorrowing  multitude  retired  in  silence  and 
sadness. 

Deep  was  the  sorrow  felt  at  the  death  of  Bishop 
Bascom,  and  deep  was  the  expression  of  grief  all 
over  the  country.  The  public  press,  which  for 
years  had  noted  all  his  public  movements,  and 
during  his  illness  had  constantly  reported  the 
progress  of  the  disease  to  its  final  catastrophe, 
now  gave  free  expression  to  feelings  of  sorrow  and 
admiration,  and  hundreds  of  eulogies,  more  or  less 
full  and  extended,  reached  the  public  through  this 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM  317 

medium.  Brief  extracts  from  a  few  cf  these,  it 
seems  proper  to  copy  into  this  work  —  more  we 
cannot  make  room  for.  The  first  two  are  from 
secular  papers :  — 

"bishop    BASCOM. 
'  He  was  not  for  one  age,  but  for  all  time.' 

"  The  above  splendid  tribute,  which  was  paid  to 
the  genius  of  the  poet,  is  equally  merited  by  the 
talents  and  works  of  the  lamented  divine. 

"  In  the  death  of  this  distinguished  prelate,  it  is 
not  alone  the  wide  extended  and  respectable  com- 
munion of  which  he  was  the  pride  and  ornament, 
that  has  suffered  loss,  but  society  at  large.  The 
church  may  mourn  and  array  herself  in  the  habili- 
ments of  woe  when  the  good  and  the  useful  of 
her  ministers  are  called  away.  This  is  doubtless 
right  and  proper,  but  wider  far  is  the  extent  of 
the  calamity,  for  the  world  is  bereaved  when  the 
good  and  the  great  man  f  dls. 

"  To  say  that  Bishop  B.iscom  was  one  of  the  first 
men  of  the  age,  in  almost  every  respect,  is  no 
special  compliment  paid  to  his  memory,  but  a 
plain  declaration  of  the  simple  truth. 

"  As  an  orator,  he  was  almost  peerless ;  as  a 
divine,  he  was  deeply  profound  and  learned;  as  a 
Christian,  unreservedly  devoted  to  his  cause ;  and 
as  a  man  and  a  friend,  as  immovable  in  his  attach- 
ments as  the  granite  rock  of  earth. 

"  We  knew  him  well,  and  a  hundred  times  have 


318  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

hung  almost  breathless  and  entranced  upon  his 
Apollo-like  speech  and  form.  But  he  is  gone.  — 
'Peace  to  his  manes.'  In  all  the  proportions  of 
mind  and  heart,  which,  in  harmonious  combination, 
make  up  the  perfect  man,  we  doubt  th;it  '  we  e'er 
shall  look  upon  his  like  again.'  It  is  understood 
that  he  has  left  many  valuable  manuscripts,  which 
are  the  labor  of  his  life.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
speedy  arrangements  will  be  made  for  their  early 
publication." 

''  Bishop  Bascom.  —  In  the  death  of  this  distin- 
guished divine,  which  took  place  on  the  8th  inst., 
at  the  residence  of  his  friend  of  thirty  years' 
standing.  Dr.  Stevenson,  the  church  and  the  world 
h;ive  experienced  irremediable  loss. 

"  Common  men  may  '  bustle  on '  in  the  world 
—  may  fill  their  places  in  society  —  may  live  out 
their  lives  unnoticed,  and  fall  forgotten  into  obscure 
graves ;  but  not  so  when  the  talented,  the  good, 
and  the  great  depart.  The  whole  moral  world  is 
affected  —  all  feel  that  they  have  suffered  an 
irreparable  loss. 

"  The  death  of  Bishop  Bascom  is  a  public  cala- 
mity, and  so  must  be  regarded  by  all  who  in  the 
least  degree  esteem  moral  and  intellectual  worth. 
Not  only  does  the  wide-spread  communion,  of 
which  he  was  the  ornament,  suffer  in  this  sorrowful 
event,  but  thousands,  in  no  way  connected  with 
the   church,  who    have   listened   to    his   burning 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  319 

elo(iuence,  when  they  hear  of  his  death,  will  feel 
that  they  have  lost  a  friend,  and  count  the  grief 
their  own ;  for,  in  the  most  enlarged  sense,  he  was 
the  Avorld's  preacher  and  the  world's  friend.  But 
he  fell  as  all  true  heroes  love  to  fall,  clad  in  his 
panoply  and  in  the  niidst  of  the  battle.  A  noble 
pillar  has  been  overthrown ;  and  yet  he  dies  not 
to  the  world.  He  lives  in  his  works.  '  Blessed 
are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord,  for  they  rest 
from  their  labors  and  their  works  do  follow  them.' " 
The  following  is  from  a  Baptist  weekly  :  — 
"Bishop  Bascom. — Died,  in  this  city,  on  Sun- 
day morning,  the  8th  instant,  after  a  protracted 
and  painful  illness,  Bev.  Henry  B.  Bascom,  D.D., 
one  of  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South. 

"  The  funeral  services  took  place  at  the  Fourth 
street  Methodist  church,  on  Tuesday,  the  lOch 
instant,  at  ten  o'clock.  Thus  has  gone  down  one 
of  the  brightest  lights  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  In  his  death,  he  was  calm,  and  resigned 
to  the  will  of  God.  The  brilliant  ministerial 
career  of  the  orator,  is  a  living  specimen  of  the 
elevation  to  which  devoted  and  persevering  energy 
may  conduct  the  aspiring  to  learning  and  useful- 
ness. We  have  not  room  for  remarks  upon  the 
life  of  Bishop  B;iSCom.  His  death  in  the  very 
prime  and  maturity  of  his  masterly  powers,  will 
fill  many  hearts  with  painful  anguish." 


320        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

The  next  is  taken  from  a  Northern  Methodist 
paper  : 

"This  is  an  event  that  cannot  fail  to  send  a 
thrill  of  sorrow  through  the  heart  of  Methodism, 
especially  of  American  Methodism.  Henry  B. 
Bascom  was  no  ordinary  man.  His  prominent 
talents,  and  especially  his  wonderful  pulpit  oratory, 
have  given  him  a  wide  celebrity.  He  was  exten- 
sively known  and  extensively  beloved.  Though 
for  a  few  years  past  the  family  feud  in  American 
Methodism  has  caused  the  affections  of  many  to 
cool  towards  Dr.  Bascom,  and  other  distinguished 
men  of  the  South,  whom  the  whole  Church  formerly 
delighted  to  honor,  yet  will  there  be  thousands  of 
hearts,  even  in  the  North,  that  will  heave  a  sigh 
when  they  hear  that  Bascom  is  no  more.  Though 
the  few  latter  years  of  his  life  have  been  devoted 
chiefly  to  the  services  of  a  particular  division  of 
Methodism,  yet  his  name  and  fame  belong  to  our 
common  family,  to  Methodism  in  general,  to  the 
North  as  well  as  the  South." 

The  following  is  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Wightman,  of  Charleston  :  — 

^^  Death  of  Bishop  Bascom.  —  The  intelligence 
of  this  mournful  event,  communicated  by  telegraph 
from  Louisville,  reached  us  just  after  our  last 
week's  edition  had  gone  to  press.  The  Bishop  died 
on  the  morning  of  the  8th  instant,  after  a  pra 
tracted   illness,   taken    as   he    was    returning   ta 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  321 

Kentucky,  after  holding  the  St.  Louis  conference: 
the  first  and  only  conference  at  which  he  lived  to 
preside  after  his  elevation  to  the  episcopal  office. 
Stricken  down  by  death  in  the  ripe  maturity  of 
those  great  intellectual  and  oratorical  powers  which 
had  made  his  name  ft  miliar  to  the  whole  nation, 
and  upon  the  threshhold  of  a  new  field  of  ecclesi- 
astical responsibilities,  wider  than  he  had  evei 
filled  before,  with  the  promise  of  many  years 
valuable  service  to  the  Church  which  had  honored 
him  with  its  highest  confidence  and  affection,  the 
visitation  is  one  of  the  utmost  solemnity.  In 
view  of  the  fresh  grave  where  now  lies  the  mighty 
master  of  eloquence  on  whose  lips  hundreds  of 
thousands  have  hung  entranced,  whose  name  could 
call  together  a  vaster  throng  of  listeners  than  that 
of  any  other  man  on  the  continent,  —  the  grave, 
where  every  trophy  of  genius,  and  every  lineament 
of  manly  beauty,  is  laid  low,  we  are  reminded  of 
Massillon's  impressive  exordium  over  the  plumed 
and  scutchioned  bier  of  the  young  French  prince  — 
'  there  is  nothing  great  hut  God.'' 

"Our  personal  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Bascom 
began  at  the  General  Conference  of  1840.  During 
this  conference  he  presented  a  masterly  report  in 
favor  of  the  right  and  eligibility  to  orders  of  local 
preachers  holding  slaves  within  the  Virginia  portion 
of  the  Baltimore  conference.  This  paper  was  a 
specimen  of  clear  and  close  argumentation.     Ai 

21 


322  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

the  same  conference  he  preached  in  the  Light 
street  Church  to  as  dense  a  throng  as  could  crowd 
into  the  spacious  building  —  the  adjoining  street 
being  filled  with  people  who  could  not  find  entrance 
into  the  church.  His  text  was  —  "Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world."  The  sermon  embraced  all  the  cardinal 
elements  of  the  Christian  system,  set  forth  in  a 
light  so  vivid,  under  illustrations  so  overpoweringly 
magnificent,  and  with  a  vehemence  so  rushing  and 
pauseless,  as  to  hold  the  vast  audience  spell-bound. 
At  particular  passages,  several  of  which  we  dis- 
tinctly remember,  the  effect  was  awful.  The 
sentences  came  like  the  sharp  zig-zag  lightning, 
the  tones  of  the  preacher's  voice  were  like  articulate 
thunder.  The  hearer  cowered  under  the  weight 
of  thought  piled  on  thought,  and  was  driven  almost 
beside  himself  by  the  rapid  whirl  of  dazzling 
imagery.  The  sermon,  artistically  considered,  had 
the  strange  fault  of  being  too  great.  It  covered 
too  vast  a  field  of  thought,  it  was  marred  by  excess 
of  grandeur.  You  were  bewildered  by  the  quick 
succession  of  vivid  pictures  thrown  off  as  by  the 
turn  of  some  grand  kaleidoscope.  The  impassioned 
fervor  of  the  pre^icher  seemed  too  self-consuming. 
We  felt,  as  some  one  has  happily  remarked 
respecthig  Chalmers,  that  powers  and  resources, 
such  as  these,  were  indeed  not  needed  by  the 
gospel,  but  much  needed  by  gospel-rejecting  man 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM  323 

The  consecration  of  such  a  majestic  intellect  and 
Imagination  to  the  work  of  propagating  the  prin- 
ciples of  Christianity  could  but  make  a  profound 
and  wide  impression  upon  society.  Thousands  of 
sultivated  minds  comino;  within  the  reach  of  such 
an  influence,  have  been  compelled  to  respect  the 
system  advocated  by  so  lofty  a  spirit,  and  have 
been  prepared  to  lend  an  unprejudiced  ear  to 
simple  ministrations. 

"  His  dying  hours  were  full  of  peace  and  con- 
fidence in  Christ's  atoning  merit.  Like  two  of 
his  greatest  contemporaries,  Emory  and  Fisk,  his 
life  seems  to  have  closed  with  a  strange  abrupt- 
ness ere  its  full  completion.  His  scholastic  labors 
were  ended,  but  he  had  been  called  from  the  halls 
of  instruction,  once  more  into  a  sphere  of  extended 
travel  and  preaching,  with  the  added  responsibili- 
ties of  government,  for  all  of  which  his  previous 
training  seemed  to  have  peculiarly  qualified  him. 
But  no  sooner  does  he  spread  his  wing  of  towering 
strength  than  the  fatal  shaft  of  disease  lays  him 
low.  Among  the  distinguished  dead  of  this 
memorable  year,  1850,  we  have  to  record  the  name 
of  Henry  B.  Bascom.  When  shall  the  present 
generation  '  look  upon  his  like  again  ? '  We 
sympathize  with  his  bereft  widow,  with  his  children 
deprived  of  parental  guidance  and  fostering  care. 
We  sorrow  with  a  sorrowing  church,  one  of  whose 
brightest    lights     has     been     so     unexpectedly 


324  LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM 

quenched.  We  mark  the  impressive  admonition, 
so  repeated  before  the  country  of  late,  that  neither 
exalted  position  nor  mighty  influence ;  neither 
genius  nor  virtue,  can  claim  exemption  from  the 
common  lot  of  mortality,  or  turn  away  the  approach 
of  the  inevitable  hour.  Happy  for  us  in  this 
instance,  while  we  exclaim,  '  how  are  the  mighty 
flillen  ! '  we  know  that  to  fall  as  did  the  illustrious 
man  before  us,  with  harness  on,  girded,  and 
grasping  shield  and  svvord,  is  to  conquer  death  — 
in  the  language  of  the  immortal  Few  — '  Brother 
soldier,  it  is  sweet,  sweet,  to  die  on  the  field  of 
battle.' " 

In  many  towns  and  cities  —  as  St.  Louis,  Mem- 
phis, Lexington  —  public  meetings  of  the  citizens 
or  the  church  were  called,  and  resolutions  adopted 
and  published,  expressive  of  their  high  appreciation 
of  the  worth  of  the  deceased,  and  sorrow  for  his 
loss.  Like  proceedings  were  had  in  many,  if  not 
all,  the  southern  annual  conferences. 

In  Nashville,  St.  Louis,  Memphis,  and  many 
other  cities,  and  at  the  annual  conferences,  public 
funerals  were  observed,  and  appropriate  sermons  or 
orations  were  delivered.  Some  of  these  possessed 
great  merit,  and  some  were  published  at  the  time 
with  good  effect.  We  might  enlarge  this  work  by 
rich  and  appropriate  extracts  from  those  excellent 
discourses,  but  our  limits  will  not  admit  so  wide 
a  range. 


LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  325 

Thus  lived  and  died  Henry  B.  Bascom,  one  of 
the  most  noble  and  mighty  of  human  kind  —  a 
sage,  an  orator,  a  philosopher,  a  faithful  friend,  an 
humble  and  trusting  Christian. 

He  left  an  afflicted  widow,  a  daughter,  born 
May  1841,  and  a  son  —  born  February  10,  1843, 
to  mourn  their  irreparable  loss. 

To  the  cause  of  God  and  humanity,  he  devoted 
the  energies  of  a  noble  body,  and  a  still  more 
noble  mind  and  heart ;  in  acts  of  benevolence  and 
pious  charity,  he  expended  thousands ;  and  he  left 
to  his  children  a  rich  inheritance  of  fame,  but  mi 
a  dollar  for  their  support  and  education. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

<;haractcr  ot  Bishop  Bascora  —  Scholarship  —  Filial  and  Fraternal 
Affection  —  Benevolence  —  Social  Qualities  and  Intercourse  with 
Ladies  —  Bascom  as  a  Writer  —  As  a  Preacher  and  Orator  — 
Preparations  for  the  Pulpit  —  His  Piety. 

We  have  now  traced  the  narrative  of  Bishop 
Bascom's  life  from  his  birth  to  his  grave;  and 
herein  we  have  learned  much  of  his  labors  and 
sufferings,  much  of  his  reputation,  and  not  a  little 
of  his  character;  yet,  in  that  character  there  were 
strong  points  which  could  not  well  be  brought  out 
in  the  narrative  without  severing  its  links  too 
widely,  and  which  therefore  we  propose  now  to 
consider  in  a  separate  chapter. 

His  Scholarship. 

I  once  heard  a  man  of  moderate  mind,  but 
respectable  learning,  and  perhaps  a  little  tincture 
of  invidiousness,  say:  "Dr.  Bascom  is  no  scholar: 
he  could  not  now  enfer  a  regular  freshman  class 
on  examination."  The  first  position  he  took  to  be 
an  evident  corollary  of  the  second ;  if  he  could  not 
pass  an  examination  for  entering  college,  it  was 
clear  that  he  could  not  be  a  scholar.  This  is  the 
verdict  of  a  narrow  mind.     The  same   assertion 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  327 

would  be  found  true  with  respect  to  a  very  large 
proportion  of  all  who  have  graduated  regularly 
and  with  honor.  Is  a  man  the  better  scholar  for 
having  once  known  what  he  has  long  since  for- 
gotten? Suppose  Dr.  Bascom  to  have  been 
deficient  in  the  details  of  learning,  pertaining  to 
a  common  college  course,  those  studies  are  at  most 
little  more  than  instruments  to  be  used  in  acquir- 
ing real  learning.  If  he  reached  the  latter  per 
saltum,  by  the  efforts  of  a  mighty  intellect,  without 
the  slower  processes  necessary  to  common  minds, 
this  would  seem  to  entitle  him  to  higher  commend- 
ation, and  not  discredit.  But  the  truth  is,  that 
though  gold  is  gold,  whether  in  the  quartz,  the 
ingot,  or  the  coin,  it  is  the  stamp  and  not  the  pure 
metal  that  gives  it  currency  with  those  incapable 
of  judging  for  themselves;  and  with  such,  fhat 
stamp  would  give  to  a  worthless  alloy  the  value 
of  virgin  gold. 

Yet,  if  the  stamp  be  of  so  great  importance,  he 
had  that  too,  though  not  in  the  ordinary  way  and 
order ;  he  was  not  coined  by  the  mint  into  goldeo 
pennies,  but  stamped  in  a  great  ingot.  The 
churches  accredited  him  as  a  man  of  superior 
learning ;  hundreds  of  thousands,  upon  an  exami- 
nation of  his  productions  and  performances,  so 
accredited  him ;  aye,  and  the  literary  institutions 
of  the  country  did  the  same.  With  respect  to 
the  latter,  he  was  first  admitted  to  the  unsolicited 


328  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

honor  of  Master  of  Arts  by  a  highly  respectable 
college,  to  that  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  by  another, 
and  then  Adeundum  by  another  college  and  by  two 
universities,  and,  finally,  by  another  to  that  of 
Doctor  of  Laws.  In  a  word,  he  received  every 
grade  of  literary  distinction  conferrable  by  the 
colleges  of  the  country.  Besides,  he  was  ten 
years  professor  in  one  college,  three  years  presi- 
dent of  another,  invited  to  the  presidency  of  two 
others,  and  seven  years  president  of  the  oldest 
university  in  the  south-west.  His  literary  claims 
were  farther  accredited  by  nearly  every  respect- 
able college  and  university  in  the  west  and 
south-west,  in  the  fact  of  their  calling  on  him  to 
deliver  literary  addresses  before  them  on  those 
occasions,  when  they  wish  to  exhibit  their  literary 
character  to  the  best  advantage.  If  this  be  not 
a  sufficient  endorsement  of  his  scholarship,  we 
know  of  no  one  who  has  or  is  likely  to  have  such 
endorsement. 

All  this,  however,  is  but  the  "guinea's  stamp;" 
a  few  words  now  respecting  the  gold  itself. 

Mr.  Bascom  made  himself  acquainted  with  the 
elements  and  structure  of  the  Latin,  Greek,  and 
Hebrew  languages,  and  read  them  all  with  some 
satisfiiction  to  himself,  but  never  studied  them  with 
thoroughness,  nor  qualified  himself  to  teach  them. 
He  studied  also,  in  a  general  way,  several  othe^ 
languages,  ancient  and  modern.     His  knowledge 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  329 

of  pure  mathematics  was  rather  general  than 
minute;  but  in  some  departments  of  mixed 
mathematics,  his  knowledge  was  much  more  per- 
fect. In  the  different  branches  of  natural  science 
his  attainments  were  respectable ;  in  mental  and 
moral  science  he  was  thorough  and  profound,  and 
so  in  political  economy,  and  general  belles-lettres 
literature.  Without  being  a  proficient  in  the 
languages  of  the  ancient  classics,  with  ancient 
classic  Hterature  itself  he  was  remarkably  familiar. 
In  the  compass  of  his  theological  knowledge  he 
had  few  equals.  There  was  no  author  of  note  in 
that  department,  with  whose  works  he  was  not 
acquainted  ;  and  his  knowledge  of  general  and 
miscellaneous  literature  was  perfectly  astonishing. 
You  might  select  what  subject  or  work  you  choose 
in  that  general  range,  and  you  were  sure  to  find 
him  familiarly  at  home  in  conversing  of  its  merits. 
And,  indeed,  it  could  hardly  be  otherwise  with  a 
man  who  devoured  every  book  that  fell  in  his 
way,  and  never  forgot  anything  he  read.  Even 
when  harrassed  by  debt,  bowed  down  with  labor 
and  care,  and  prostrated  by  sickness,  he  read  more 
than  a  hundred  pages  a  day  on  an  average.  Think 
of  a  man  whose  hoarding  memory  never  parted 
with  any  of  its  acquisitions,  casting  into  that 
capacious  depository  the  contents  of  one  or  two 
hundred  pages  a  day  for  forty  years,  and  imagine, 
if  you  can,  the  vast  sum  of  intellectual  and  literary 


530  LIFE   OF   BISHOr   BASCOM. 

wealth  there  garnered  up.  Until  you  do  this,  and 
then  imagine,  too,  the  myriads  of  mental  creations 
tvrought  by  the  machinery  of  his  own  master 
mind,  from  those  materials  operating  suggestively 
upon  it,  you  can  form  no  adequate  conception  of 
the  mental  opulence  of  this  intellectual  prince. 

The  versatile  power  of  his  mind  and  cyclopedia- 
like scope  of  his  knowledge  frequently  perplexed 
men  who  regarded  themselves  as  great  and  learned, 
and  their  attempts  to  explain  a  superiority  they 
could  not  comprehend  was  sometimes  amusing. 
There  could  be  no  higher  evidence  of  the  astonish- 
ing universality  of  his  knowledge,  than  that 
furnished  in  the  fact  that,  in  whatever  department 
one  first  heard  him,  he  was  sure  to  regard  that  as 
the  orator's  favorite  field  or  theme.  I  remember  a 
striking  instance  of  this :  An  editor  of  note  having 
heard  Dr.  Bascom  deliver  a  missionary  discourse, 
eulogized  the  performance  without  stint ;  but 
added,  "  This  is  evidently  the  orator's  favorite 
field  of  action  and  display,"  when,  in  fact,  this 
was  among  the  first,  perhaps,  the  very  first  public 
missionary  address  that  Bascom  had  ever  delivered. 
On  one  occasion,  he  was  proposed  for  a  service  so 
unusual  for  one  of  his  profession,  that  it  Was  sug- 
gested he  could  not  be  qualified  for  it.  "  Give 
yourself  no  concern  on  that  head,"  replied  one 
who  knew  him  better,  "  you  have  only  to  secure 
his  acceptance,  and   you  will   have  as  good  an 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BA^OOM.  331 

address  as  can  be  made  by  any  man,  no  matter 
what  may  be  the  subject." 

Bascom  in  his  Domestic  Relations, 

On  this  subject,  it  is  not  necessary  to  add  much. 
We  have  seen  his  devotion  to  his  mother,  and 
have  seen  her  calmly  die  with  her  hands  clasped 
in  his ;  we  have  seen  him  adopt  his  dead  sister's 
infant  daughters,  and  support  and  educate  them ; 
we  have  marked  his  untiring  attention  to  his 
father,  through  seven  years  of  confinement  and 
suffering,  and  have  seen  him  kneeling  at  the  bed- 
side to  receive  the  last  blessing  of  his  dying 
parent ;  we  have  seen  him  nourish  and  nurse  his 
step-mother  to  the  end  of  her  life,  and  become  a 
father  to  her  orphans ;  we  have  seen  him  bring 
on  himself  a  whole  life  of  painful  involvement, 
for  the  love  he  bore  to  those  to  whom  he  was 
bonded  by  ties  of  blood ;  and  we  have  seen,  him 
at  last,  when  his  hour  was  come,  place  his  hands 
affectionately  in  those  of  his  companion,  and 
calmly  render  back  his  spirit  to  God.  And  yet, 
we  have  not  seen  all,  nor  can  we. 

In  1833,  when  the  cholera  was  dragging  down 
thousands  to  the  tomb,  a  beloved  brother  was 
seized  with  the  fatal  malady,  Bascom,  not  only  did 
everything  in  his  power  to  relieve  the  sufferer,  but 
he  went  with  the  case  to  the  Great  Physician,  and 
entered  up  the  following  solemn  vow,  which  I  find 


332  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM 

among  his  papers:  "God  of  destiny! — the  des« 
tiny  of  men  and  angels! — only  vouchsafe,  through 
Jesus  Christ,  for  the  sake  of  the  wretched  and 
unfortunate,  to  show  thyself  the  God  of  mercy,  as 
it  would  appear  to  him  who  asks  the  boon,  by  restor- 
ing my  brother,  now  the  victim  of  the  fell  disease, 
which  has  appeared  among  us,  as  the  destroying 
angel  of  judgment,  and  I  hereby  most  solemnly 
pledge  myself  to  thy  service  more  devotedly  thaD 
at  any  former  period. 

"July  1,1833.  H.  B.  Bascom." 

This  is  true  affection ;  it  not  only  gives  all 
possible  succor  to  the  suffering,  but,  but  when 
human  aid  fails,  goes  to  God,  and  covenants  with 
the  Most  High  for  help. 

Well  did  the  late  Dr.  Ruter  say:  Whatevei 
narrow  minds  may  think,  the  wise  and  good  will 
regard  this  as  a  most  noble  trait  in  Bascom's 
character."  And  well  did  Bishop  Andrew  say : 
"  I  honor  and  admire  Bascom,  the  eloquent  orator, 
but  most  I  love  Bascom,  the  affectionate  brother, 
the  dutiful  and  loving  son." 

He  was  Benevolent  and  Kind. 

He  was  benevolent ;  perhaps  even  faultily  so 
his  was  not  a  calculating  charity:  he  paused  not  to 
inquire  either  into  the  worthiness  of  the  applicant, 
or  his  own  ability  to  bestow ;  if  he  had  the  means, 
no  matter  what  other  and   paramount  demands 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.       333 

might  claim  them,  he  could  not  turn  any  away 
empty.  He  would  not  only  divide  his  last  dollar 
and  his  last  loaf  with  one  who  appeared  to  be 
needy,  but  he  would  give  the  whole."^  He  was  in 
consequence  often  most  meanly  imposed  on  by 
unworthy  persons  who  knew  his  disposition.  But 
he  was  wont  to  say,  "  better  give  to  ten  unworthy 
applicants,  than  turn  away  one  case  of  real  distress." 
Nor  was  his  charity  and  kindness  limited  to 
the  mere  matter  of  giving,  it  ran  through  all  his 
actions.  He  was  lenient  in  his  judgment  and  his 
remarks  respecting  others.  Elevated  himself,  if 
not  above  the  reach  of  criticism,  yet  beyond  the 
fear  of  its  effects,  he  seldom  indulged  in  critical 
remarks  on  the  productions  of  others.  If  he 
heard  a  sermon,  or  other  discourse  which,  as  a 
whole,  was  deserving  commendation,  he  would 
commend  it  as  a  whole,  but  in  clear  and  unequivo- 
cal terms ;  if  an  inferior  one,  he  would  find  such 
points  and  features  in  it  as  had  merit,  if  such  there 
were,  and  direct  attention  to  that  of  which  he 


*  This  is  literally  true ;  of  which  the  following  is  an  instance. 
Mrs.  M. .  . . .,  of  Cabell  county,  Va,,  used  to  tell,  that  when  Bascoro 
was  on  Guyandotte  circuit  —  the  circuit  on  which  he  received  twelve 
dollars  and  ten  cents  for  a  very  hard  year's  work  —  he  came  to  her 
house  on  one  occasion,  with  no  shoes  on  ;  and  when  the  reason  was 
inquired  into,  it  was  ascertained  that  he  had  met  with  a  poor  man 
who  had  no  shoes  and  no  way  of  getting  any,  and  he  took  the 
only  pair  he  had  off  his  own  feet  and  gave  them  to  the  man  —  assign 
Ing  as  a  reason,  that  though  he  had  no  money,  he  had  friends  who 
would  not  permit  him  to  go  barefoot.,  but  the  poor  man  bad  not. 


334  LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

could  speak  favorably  with  a  good  conscience; 
but  his  rule  was  to  give  no  opinion  at  all  when  he 
could  say  nothing  approbatory.  If  he  departed  from 
this  rule,  it  was  in  the  instances  of  men  who  were 
themselves  intolerant  and  uncharitable  in  theii 
remarks  on  others ;  and  then,  he  would  not  speak 
of  them,  but  to  them,  if  practicable.  He  felt 
great  contempt  for  such  as  seek  their  own  eleva- 
tion by  fault  finding  and  petty  criticisms ;  and  woe 
to  the  luckless  wight  who  attempted  it  in  his 
presence. 

On  one  occasion,  as  he  was  returning  from  hear- 
ing a  sound  but  inornate  sermon,  a  young  preacher 
who  seemed  to  think  that  Bascom  could  relish 
nothing  that  was  not  garbed  in  his  own  lofty  style, 
remarked  to  him  with  an  air  of  criticism :  "A 
plain,  old  fashioned  sermon  to-day.  What  did 
you  think  of  it,  doctor?"  "I  thought,"  responded 
Bascom,  "that  it  was  neither  plainer  nor  more 
old  fashioned  than  the  gospel,  and  that  it  would 
have  done  honor  to  St.  Paul's,  in  London." 

On  another  occasion,  after  Dr.  B.  had  delivered 
one  of  his  best  sermons,  an  unpretending,  aged 
minister  was^  called  on  to  preach  the  next  succeed- 
ing discourse ;  after  the  latter'  had  concluded,  a 
young  preacher  of  more  sprightliness  than  solidity, 
commenced  a  criticism  on  the  alleged  imperfections 
of  the  sermon,  respecting  some  nice  points  in  its 
rhetoric  and  grammar,  and   seemed    disposed  to 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  335 

cast  the  whole  away  on  account  of  those  blemishes. 
"  It  was  an  excellent  sermon,"  responded  Bascom 
firmly,  "  one  of  which  you  or  I  might  be  proud, 
and  with  defects  too  inconsiderable  for  the  notice 
of  anything  but  hypercriticism ;  but  if  a  man  will 
reject  the  light  of  the  sun  because  of  a  minute 
speck  on  his  broad  disc,  he  had  better  take  his 
classification  with  kindred  owls  and  bats." 

He  was  the  young  preacher's  friend  under  all 
circumstances  of  difficulty  not  involving  crime,  and 
there  was  no  man  to  whom  such  could  apply  with 
so  much  certainty  of  aid  as  to  Bascom.*  So  long 
as  there  was  hope  of  curing  errors,  or  overcoming 
ignorance,  he  would  stand  by  them,  and  with  them 
he  was  almost  an  idol.  He  never  forgot  the  time 
when  the  ecclesiastical  guillotine  was  about  to 
sever  his  head,  nor  the  kind  interposition  of  the 
good  old  bishop  who  averted  its  stroke,  and  said : 
"  Give  me  that  young  man;  I'll  take  care  of  him; " 
and  through  life  he  labored  to  pay  back  tha+ 
kindness  by  helping  others  in  like  circumstances. 


*  This  remark  applies  as  well  to  all  young  men  of  merit  and  integ- 
rity as  to  young  preachers.  A  letter  before  me,  under  date  of  July, 
1853,  from  an  attorney,  says  :  "  Judging  from  my  own  case,  he  was 
certainly  distinguished  for  his  kindness  and  generosity  towards  the 
young.  And  my  own  testimony,  upon  that  point,  but  confirms  what 
others  have  said,  in  attributing  to  him  so  interesting  a  trait.  A 
gentleman  who  now  occupies  a  proud  eminence  upon  the  bench  of 
M. .,....,  owes,  it  is  said,  the  successful  shaping  of  his  destiny  to  the 
bishop's  discovery  of  a  germ  in  the  mind  of  a  little  boy  behind  th< 
?Ounter  of  a  village  store. 


336       LIFE  OE  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

He  was  ever  particularly  attentive  to  the  pooi 
and  the  afflicted.  True,  he  was  frequently  accused 
of  haughtiness,  but  it  was  by  those  who  knew  him 
not.  Proud  he  may  have  been,  in  the  better  sense 
of  that  term,  but  he  had  none  of  the  mean  pride 
that  scorns  or  neglects  the  poor  or  the  suffering ; 
it  would  be  more  in  consonance  with  his  nature 
to  take  pride  in  showing  marked  respect  to  the 
virtuous  poor,  if  it  were  but  to  show  the  world's 
proud  ones  how  entirely  he  was  above  being 
influenced  by  their  evU  example.  And  his  atten- 
tions to  the  poor  and  afflicted  were  not  bestowed 
with  an  air  of  condescension  and  patronage  calcu- 
lated to  make  them  feel  their  inferiority  and 
dependence;  but  he  came  rather  as  a  kind  and 
respectful  friend,  claiming  no  superiority,  but 
seeming  to  regard  it  a  privilege  to  visit  them. 
Instances  of  this  kind  might  be  related  in  great 
numbers,  but  only  a  few  can  be  admitted.^ 

At  one  time,  there  was  a  poor  afflicted  woman 

-*  On  Bishop  Bascom's  tour  to  Missouri  —  his  last  —  the  passen 
gers  on  the  boat,  generally,  seemed  for  a  time  to  regard  him  as 
distant  and  repulsive  in  his  manner ;  but  presently  the  cholera  broke 
out  among  them,  and  though  there  were  some  medicines,  there  was 
no  physician  aboard,  and  the  panic  was  terrible.  The  Bishop  had 
seen  much  of  the  disease,  and  had  administered  to  its  victims.  He, 
therefore,  went  to  Avork  at  once  and  in  good  earnest  to  relieve  the 
suiferers.  All  his  skill  and  efforts  were  freely,  diligently,  and 
constantly  bestowed,  and  throughout  the  voyage  he  acted  as  physi- 
cian of  both  body  and  mind ;  and  the  man  who  had  been  looked  on 
at  first,  as  cold  and  austere,  came  to  be  regarded  as  an  angel  of 
mercy  to  the  suffering. 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  337 

residing  nearly  in  the  line  of  direction  from  his 
dwelling  to  the  college ;  he  learned  the  fact  of 
her  destitution,  sent  food  from  his  own  table,  called 
at  her  hovel,  conversed  with  her,  and  prayed  for 
her.  This  was  continued  so  long  as  his  attentions 
were  necessary. 

Dr.  E.  reports  to  me  a  case  from  a  much 
earlier  period  of  his  life,  dating  back  to  1815-16  : 

"  A  sensible  old  Virginian,  who  had  been  re- 
duced to  indigence,  and  who  resided  on  his  circuit, 
predicted  Bascom's  future  greatness,  on  the  ground 
of  his  devoted  attentions  to  the  poor,  and  to  him- 
self and  his  flimily,  in  particular.  Bascom  would 
help  the  poor  old  man  make  a  fire  in  the  morning, 
then  pray  in  the  family,  partake  of  his  ash  cake, 
venison,  and  wild  honey,  and  then  read  and 
expound  the  scriptures  to  him,  until  the  hour  for 
starting  to  his  next  appointment.  1  knew  the  old 
man  well,  and  to  the  day  of  his  death  he  would 
speak  of  Bascom  with  a  full  heart." 

The  same  gentleman  says,  Bascom  was  a  favorite 
with  the  poor  on  that  circuit  —  that  "  many  a  time 
he  would  rise  from  his  bed,  go  out  and  fell  trees 
and  haul  wood  till  breakfast  time,  then  pray  with 
the  family,  breakfast,  and  read  and  expound  the 
word  of  God  until  his  time  for  departure." 

I  remember  to  have  witnessed  a  scene  in  which 
he  was  an  actor,  such  as  one  is  not  likely  to  forget 
He  had  been  sent  for  a  distance  of  several  hun- 

22 


338  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

died  miles,  to  deliver  an  address  on  a  great 
occasion  He  had  just  concluded  a  splendid 
discourse  to  a  concourse  of  thousands,  and  a 
group  of  magnates  had  clustered  around  him. 
including  the  governor  and  different  general 
officers  of  the  state,  a  number  of  the  literati,  and 
others,  when  a  man  and  woman  plainly  attired  in 
homespun,  were  seen  pressing  through  the  crowd, 
evidently  trying  to  reach  the  great  centre  of 
attraction  for  the  day.  Bascom's  eye  fell  on  them, 
and  —  for  if  he  never  forgot  any  thing,  he  never 
forgot  any  jo^r^w? — he  instantly  recognized  them 
as  poor  pious  people  in  whose  humble  cot  he  had 
been  often  kindly  entertained,  in  a  distant  state, 
more  than  twenty  years  previous  to  this  interview. 
The  great  men  around  him  seemed  to  be  lost  sight 
of,  and  grasping  their  hands  with  fervor  —  "  Is  it 

possible !    Brother  and  sister !    This  is  a  most 

unexpected  pleasure!"  After  a  few  kind  inquiries, 
he  fixed  on  a  time  and  place  for  "a  long  talk  about 
old  times,"  which  he  said  he  must  have  with  them. 
Some  shadow  of  fear  had  passed  over  their  minds 
that,  in  his  present  high  position  he  would,  as  they 
expressed  it,  "  feel  himself  above  poor  folks ;"  but 
their  warm  welcome  banished  that  shadow,  and 
overwhelmed  them  with  delight  and  admiration. 
I  never  saw  people  look  more  happy.  As  they 
passed  out  of  the  crowd,  the  old  gentleman  said, 
with  a  beaming  face,  "He's  Bascom  yet."    "Yes, 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  339 

he  is,"  responded  the  delighted  old  lady ;  "  didn't 
I  tell  you  they  couldn't  spoil  Henry?  Bascom's 
apology  for  so  abruptly  withdrawing  attention  from 
the  distinguished  men  around  him,  was  as  indepen- 
dent and  noble  as  his  reception  of  the  poor  couple 
had  been  cordial.  To  apologize  for  speaking  kindly 
to  poor  people,  was  what  never  entered  his  great 
soul,  nor  did  he  utter  a  word  from  which  it  could 
be  inferred,  that  he  regarded  the  linsey-clad  pair 
in  a  light  of  inferiority,  either  to  himself  or  to  the 
personages  about  him.  "  Excuse  my  inattention 
to  you,  gentlemen ;  but  these  are  old  friends  of 
mine,  whom  I  have  not  seen  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  and  to  whose  kindness  I  am  a  large  debtor." 
This  was  all.  Never  did  Bascom  appear  more  truly 
great. 

His  friendship  was  the  most  "  true  and  trusty." 
Of  this,  we  have  met  with  striking  instances  in 
the  narrative  of  his  life.  It  was  almost  literally 
true,  that  "  he  never  forsook  a  friend."  Persecu- 
tion, affliction,  adversity,  only  drew  him  into  closer 
bonds  of  friendship,  and  as  the  storm  raged  louder 
and  more  fearfully,  he  clung  still  more  closely  to 
the  pelted  victim.  Nothing  short  of  crime  could 
cause  him  to  relinquish  his  grasp ;  and  when  even 
this  was  charged  upon  his  friend,  he  was  usually 
the  very  last  man  in  the  whole  community  who 
would  yield  to  such  a  conviction,  and  never  until 
forced  into  it  by  irresistible  evidence. 


340  LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

His  Social  Habits. 

To  strangers  Dr.  Bascom  was  rather  inaccessible  ^ 
ibis  was  not,  however,  owing  to  haughtiness, 
unsocial  temper,  or  coldness,  but  to  the  want  of  a 
talent  for  making  new  acquaintances  with  facility, 
especially  when  there  was  no  mutual  friends  to 
serve  as  a  medium  of  access.  But  when  the  ice 
was  once  fairly  broken,  no  man  was  more  free, 
communicative,  or  confiding;  indeed,  he  was  fre- 
quently censured  for  then  being  too  free,  trusting, 
and  unsuspicious. 

When  these  remarks  are  applied  to  him  in 
relation  to  females,  they  may  assist  in  explaining 
some  things  in  his  history  otherwise  not  quite 
intelligible.  Towards  them  generally,  he  was 
reserved  and  apparently  cold,  and  was  many  times 
accused  as  wanting  in  common  courtesy  to  the 
sex.  He  was  by  no  means  a  gallant,  and  seldom 
waited  on  a  lady  except  when  it  was  unavoidable. 
Yet  when  he  was  repeatedly  thrown  into  the 
society  of  an  intelligent  and  amiable  female,  and  a 
familiar  acquaintance  thus  grew  up  between  them, 
it  was  in  his  nature  to  be  free  and  friendly  in  his 
intercourse.  As  this  happened  but  seldom,  when  it 
did  occur  it  was  not  unnatural  in  the  lady  thus 
singled  out,  to  infer  more  from  his  unreserved 
friendship  than  was  intended.  The  like  attentions 
from  one  who  bestowed  them  almost  promiscuously 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  341 

and  universally  would  probably  have  excited  nc 
expectations  at  all ;  but  when  a  young  lady  found 
herself  the  only  familiar  female  acquaintance  he 
had  in  a  community  of  thousands,  she  was  very 
likely  to  infer  more  from  it  than  mere  friendship. 

I  have  known  more  instances  than  one  in  which 
young  ladies  thought  themselves  improperly 
treated  by  him,  and  in  which  their  friends  have 
charged  a  violation  of  "engagement"  on  his  part, 
which,  when  thoroughly  inquired  into,  amounted  to 
nothing  more  than  what  has  just  been  stated. 
Indeed,  there  is  one  case  in  my  possession,  well 
authenticated,  in  which  a  young  woman  complained 
of  his  want  of  good  faith  in  not  marrying  her,  when 
her  whole  ground  of  claim  on  him  consisted  in  the 
fact  of  his  having  visited  her  pastorally  when  sick. 

But  candor  requu'es  a  brief  notice  at  least  of 
another  class  of  cases  —  I  say  class,  because  there 
are  supposed  to  have  been  several  of  them.  In 
such  cases,  he  became  acquainted  with  a  lady  who 
appeared  to  possess  all  the  qualifications  requisite 
to  constitute  her  a  good  wife  ;  he  was  susceptible, 
he  intended  at  sometime  to  marry; — acquaintance 
grew  into  friendship,  and  friendship  into  a  higher 
attachment,  and  that  attachment  was  declared. 
But  he  was  incumbered  with  a  family,  and  manacled 
with  debt,  and  so  could  not  marry,  perhaps  for 
several  years,  perhaps  for  many  —  possibly  never. 
Under  such  circumstances  it  was  probably  impropei 


342  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

to  form  the  attachment,  and  it  may  have  been 
more  so  to  declare  it,  for  such  declarations  are 
exceedingly  embarrassing — seldom  terminate  well, 
and  oftener  than  otherwise  have  to  be  broken  off 
as  the  best  method  of  getting  out  of  a  difficulty 
that  ought  to  h;Vo  been  "left  off  ere  it  was  med- 
dled with." 

He  would  no:  marry  under  circumstances  which 
would  subject  his  wife's  property  to  the  payment 
of  his  debts ;  and  though  hoping  and  half  expect- 
ing from  year  to  year  to  find  himself  in  a  condition 
to  enter  the  matrimonial  state,  he  never  took  this 
long  intended  step  until  he  had  attained  the 
mature  age  of  forty-three.  Then,  his  adopted  family 
had  become  less,  and  consequently  his  current 
expenses  lessened;  just  then,  too,  he  had  saved 
some  three  thousand  dollars  from  the  proceeds  of 
his  lectures,  and  hoped  to  be  able  soon  to  make 
his  way  out  of  the  embarrassments  which  had  so 
long  hung  around  him.  But  true  to  his  principles 
in  this  matter,  he  legally  secured  to  his  wife  all 
her  own  property,  so  that  it  should  not  be  affected 
by  his  pecuniary  difficulties. 

Into  whatever  en^ors  or  mistakes  Dr.  Bascom 
may  have  fallen  in  relation  to  the  subject  men- 
tioned above,  I  could  not  be  better  satisfied  than 
I  am,  that  nothing  was  farther  from  his  heart  than 
a  design  to  get  the  affections  of  a  lady  entangled 
with  an  intention  of  disappointing  her  authorized 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.        348 

expectations.  His  experience  may  however  ope- 
rate as  an  admonition  to  young  preachers  not  to 
enter  into  matrimonial  engagements,  or  to  make 
declarations  clearly  pointing  in  that  direction,  until 
they  can  "see  the  end  from  the  beginning,"  or  in 
other  words,  until  they  can  fix  with  some  certainty 
on  the  period  of  consummation.  Nearly  all  the 
difficulties  of  this  class  in  which  young  ministers 
become  involved  originate  in  the  neglect  of  this 
admonition.  But  on  the  other  hand,  the  remark- 
able prudence  and  reserve  of  Dr.  Bascom  in  his 
general  intercourse  with  females,  may  well  be  held 
up  as  an  example  worthy  to  be  imitated  by  young 
preachers. 

In  connection  with  the  subject  of  matrimony, 
many  anecdotes  are  told  .of  Bascom,  some  of  them 
singular  and  amusing,  but  most  of  them  probably 
apochryphal.  I  shall  relate  but  one,  which  is  said 
to  be  authentic.  A  lady  of  no  common  attractions 
and  advantages,  permitted  her  affections  to  become 
so  deeply  interested  in  him,  that  breaking  through 
the  barrier  of  conventional  propriety,  she  addressed 
a  note  to  him  declaring  her  state  of  feeling,  and 
making  him  a  tender  of  "her  hand,  her  fortune,  and 
her  heart."  His  reply  suggested  to  her  that  she 
very  imperfectly  appreciated  the  responsibility, 
trials  and  sacrifices  of  the  position  she  so  generously 
proposed  to  assume — that  from  a  knowledge  of 
her  habits,  manner  of  life,  and  the  character  of  her 


344  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

associations,  he  was  convinced  she  would  not  be 
happy  for  any  length  of  time  in  such  a  situation,  and' 
therefore  declined  an  offer  the  acceptance  of  which 
would  only  render  her  unhappy;  and  concluded 
by  advising  her  to  dispose  of  the  valuable  gifts 
tendered,  in  a  manner  more  conducive  to  her 
happiness,  by  giving  her  "heart  to  God,  her  wealth 
t;0  the  poor,  and  her  hand  to  the  worthy  man  who 
might  solicit  it." 

Rev.  Mr.  Bruce  has  furnished  me  with  an  anec- 
dote illustrative  of  his  -reserve  towards  females, 
which  is  too  good  to  be  lost.  Mr.  Bruce  in  1837, 
rode  the  circuit  within  which  Mr.  Bascom's  father 
lived  and  died,  and  during  that  year  held  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  in  that  immediate  neighborhood, 
at  which  he  was  assisted  by  Dr.  Bascom.  After 
service  they  dined  at  the  house  of  Mr.  R,  a  special 
friend  of  Bascom,  with  whom  he  had  lived,  and 
for  whom  he  had  labored  before  he  entered  the 
ministry.  When  they  were  all  seated  at  the  table 
Mr.  F.  said :  —  "I  must  tell  you  an  anecdote  of 
Henry :  When  he  lived  with  us,  I  and  Mrs.  F. 
made  a  visit  to  our  uncle  in  Bourbon  county,  Ky., 
and  left  Henry  and  a  young  woman  to  keep  house. 
We  were  gone  about  ten  days,  and  when  we 
returned  the  young  woman  appeared  not  to  be  in 
a  good  humor:  Mrs.  F.  inquired  what  was  the 
matter:  ^  Well,'  said  she,  *I  dont  want  you  ever  to 
go  away  again  and  leave   me  here   with  Henry 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  345 

Bascom.'  '  Why  not  ?'  asked  Mrs.  R  '  Because,' 
said  she,  ^he  talked  me  nearly  to  death.'  ^Isit 
possible,'  said  Mrs.  F.  'What  did  he  talk  about?' 
'Why,  one  night  at  supper  he  asked  me  when  I 
expected  you  home.'  'And  was  that  all  ?  '  'Yes 
madam;'  said  the  young  woman,  'every  syllable 
that  he  uttered  to  me  during  the  whole  time  you 
were  gone.'  " 

Bascom  as  a  Writer, 

Writing  was  not  the  talent  which  he  cultivated 
in  chief,  and  consequently  it  was  not  his  forte. 
Indeed,  for  one  of  his  astonishing  literary  labor, 
he  wrote  very  little  for  the  press.  If  we  deduct 
his  sermons,  lectures,  and  addresses,  which  were 
written  merely  as  a  preparation  for  the  pulpit  and 
desk,  we  have  only  a  few  conference  reports,  his 
"Methodism  and  Slavery,"  his  articles  in  the 
Quarterly,  and  a  few  fugitive  pieces  as  the  sum  of 
what  he  wrote  for  publication ;  and  nearly  all  ol 
these  were  written  hurriedly,  and  under  a  press  of 
other  cares  and  labors.  His  published  productions 
exhibit  more  of  the  speaker  than  of  the  author  — 
they  lack  the  pruned  chasteness  of  the  practiced 
and  finished  writer,  and  are  encumbered  with  a 
sort  of  exuberance  of  language,  better  suited  to 
public  declamation,  than  to  compositions  intended 
to  be  deliberately  read,  and  subjected  to  the  cool 
criticism  of  the  eye.     Yet,  his  published  produ(?. 


346  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

tions  have  been  received  with  decided  favor  b}- 
the  public  generally.  The  truth  is,  that  there  is 
enough  of  the  wealth  of  thought,  strength  of 
reasoning,  and  brilliancy  of  expression  in  his 
writings,  to  countervail  the  minor  imperfections  of 
composition. 

As  a  Preacher  and  Oratory  , 

Dr.  Bascom  excelled ;  but  his  excellence  was  his 
own,  and  peculiar.  His  sermons  were  full  of 
thought  and  sound  divinity.  The  great  elements 
of  Christian  theology  found  a  place  in  every  dis- 
course, and  especially  the  cardinal  doctrine  of 
salvation  by  faith  in  the  atonement  of  Christ 
Jesus  was  never  lost  sight  of  He  was  brilliant,  to 
be  sure,  in  a  transcendent  degree,  but  he  never 
selected  a  subject  with  a  view  to  show  off  that 
brilliancy.  If  his  style  was  sparkling  and  opulent, 
diamonds  of  thought  and  riches  of  holy  truth 
supplied  more  of  its  splendor  and  wealth  than 
pomp  of  diction  and  creation  of  fancy.  There 
was  in  his  style  a  singular  blending  of  power  and 
splendor  —  of  plain  truth  and  lofty  eloquence  — 
of  didactic  theology  and  glittering  ornament  —  of 
pointed  appeal  and  elegant  rhetoric,  not  to  be  met 
with  in  that  of  any  other  orator. 

In  his  nature  there  was  a  most  remarkable  love 
of  the  sublime,  wh^ch  gave  direction  to  his  thoughts, 
feelings,  and  utteran'^es,  and  influenced  his  whole 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  347 

character.  He  loved  to  dwell  on  subjects  of 
highest  sublimity  —  the  government  of  God,  the 
atonement  of  Christ,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
the  last  judgment,  and  the  glories  of  Heaven  — 
these  were  themes  in  which  his  very  soul  seemed  to 
revel  with  genial  ecstasy.  And  in  the  works  of 
nature  his  delight  was  in  corresponding  themes 
and  objects.  He  loved  to  hold  communion  with 
the  cloud-crowned  mountain,  the  wUd  cataract, 
the  surging  sea,  the  dark  storm-cloud,  the  harsh 
thunder,  and  the  tornado.  He  loved  the  beautiful, 
too,  whether  in  the  natural  or  the  moral  world,  but 
it  was  the  grand,  the  sublime,  the  awful,  with  which 
he  communed,  and  from  which  he  drew  his  deepest 
draughts  of  almost  terrible  inspiration.  Baptized 
into  this  inspiration,  his  feelings,  his  thoughts,  his 
language  were  sublime,  and  with  the  sublimities 
of  religion  for  his  themes,  and  the  sublimities  of 
nature  for  his  illustrations,  these  sublimed  feelings, 
thoughts  and  words  produced  examples  of  moral 
sublimity  seldom  equalled. 

That  Dr.  Bascom  employed  what  critics  would 
call  a  redundancy  of  words  in  his  discourses,  is 
not  denied,  and  yet  the  hearer  was  seldom  willing 
to  part  with  any  of  the  seeming  redundancies ;  for 
it  appeared  necessary  to  perfect  the  impression 
or  fully  develop  the  thought  elaborated.  If  he 
multiplied  synonyms  in  expressing  an  idea,  it  did 
not  appeiir  tautology  at  all,  but  ^reat  thoughts 


348       LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

struggling  to  clothe  themselves  in  a  manner  suited 
to  their  importance,  and  if  the  first  term  employed 
appeared  inadequate,  another  with  a  deeper  shade 
of  color  or  power  was  added :  or  the  principal 
term  was  strengthened  by  qualifying  words,  after 
the  model  of  Paul's  "Far  more,  exceeding,  and 
eternal  weight  oi  glory  ^^ — where  no  less  than  five 
qualifying  terms  are  employed  to  give  force  and 
effect  to  the  principal  one. 

The  severe  critic  might  find  imperfections  when 
he  judged  the  speaker  by  rules  established  for 
forming  artificial  orators  out  of  minds  inferior  to 
Bascom's ;  but  it  was  hardly  proper  to  judge  such 
a  man  by  rules  enacted  hy  intellects,  and  for 
intellects,  far  below  that  of  the  subject  of  their 
judgment. 

A  critic  —  made  such  on  the  model  of  the 
schools  —  once  said,  after  admitting  Bascom's 
superior  power  as  an  orator  to  any  man  he  had 
ever  heard :  "  He  is  certainly  not  a  great  orator, 
according  to  the  rules  of  Hugh  Blair."  "Hugh 
Blair !  "  half  indignantly  responded  a  greater  than 
the  critic ;  "  Hugh  Blair,  sir,  who  was  really  no 
orator,  but  a  mere  maker  of  artificial  orators  on  a 
small  scale,  Hugh  Blair  would  have  regarded  it  the 
greatest  privilege  of  his  life  to  sit  at  Bascom's  feet 
p.nd  learn  the  lessons  of  true  oratory." 

Few  men,  however,  could  hear  Bascom  in  his 
happier  moods  of  speaking,  and  keep  themselves 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASOOM.  349 

sufficiently  out  of  the  tornado's  track  to  think  of 
criticism ;  the  sentiment  elicited  was  rather  aston- 
ishment, ecstasy^  conviction  or  penitence.  The 
excitement  was  too  intense  for  the  colder  employ- 
ment of  fault  finding.  His  discourses  were  full 
of  deep  thought,  of  gorgeous  imagery,  of  ardent 
fervency;  and  the  understiinding,  the  imagination, 
the  passions,  were  all  at  once  excited  to  the 
intensest  degree.  His  voice  was  clear,  full,  and 
trumpet  like :  his  utterance  so  rapid  that  no  steno- 
grapher ever  could  succeed  in  catching  his  words, 
yet  so  remarkably  distinct  that  each  individual 
syllable  received  its  proper  articulation  and  em- 
phasis so  fully  that  it  seemed  to  stand  out  alone  in 
the  dense  "  forest  of  words  and  ideas ;  "  his  man- 
ner —  his  elocution,  though  not  formed  on  artistic 
rules,  was  exceedingly  forcible  and  effective ;  and 
while  he  never  studied  a  single  gesture,  and  knew 
almost  nothing  of  his  own  gesticulation,  and  his 
hearers  were  in  like  ignorance,  all  yet  felt  that 
there  was  a  wonderful,  often  a  startling  power  in 
his  delivery.  Is  it  any  matter  of  astonishment, 
then,  that  with  all  this  mighty  enginery  playing 
upon  him,  the  hearer  ceased  to  be  a  critic?  or 
that  the  excitement,  assailing  all  the  citadels  of 
heart  and  soul  at  once,  should  have  been  extreme 
and  absolutely  prostrating?  Many  a  public  speaker 
have  I  heard  to  say  that  he  had  never  been  more 
completely  exhausted  by  his    )wn  most  laborious 


350        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

efforts,  as  by  the  deep  excitement  of  thought  and 
feeling  pioduced  by  hearing  one  of  Bascom's  best 
sermons. 

No  man  could  deny  to  Bascom  eloquence  of  a 
high  order  without  subjecting  his  understanding  or 
his  heart  to  just  impeachment.  True  eloquence  is 
to  be  judged,  not  by  its  conformity  to  arbitrary 
and  artistic  laws,  but  by  its  effects  on  the  minds 
and  hear  IS  of  the  hearers;  and  judging  by  this  test, 
Dr.  Bascom's  high  claims  were  amply  vindicated. 
Such  too  was  the  award  of  hundreds  of  thousands 
who  heard  him;  and  "The  people,"  says  the 
eloquent  Abbe  Maury,  "they  are  the  best  and 
only  proper  judges  of  our  eloquence."  Schoolmen 
may  try  an  orator  by  their  rules ;  but  the  people 
try  him  by  the  effects  he  produces.  But  in  the 
instance  of  Dr.  Bascom  the  scholars  and  the  popu- 
lace rendered  the  same  verdict,  and  the  best 
orators  accorded  to  him  the  highest  commendation. 
Mr.  Clay,  himself  a  master  of  eloquence,  pro- 
nounced Henry  Bascom  the  greatest  natural 
orator  of  the  age,  and  other  orators  of  fame  bore 
like  testimony  in  his  favor. 

Preparations  for  the  Pulpit. 

His  manner  of  preparing  for  the  pulpit  was  that 
adopted  —  substantially  —  by  nearly  all  great 
orators^.  He  had  a  very  strong  aversion  to  reading 
discourses,  as  we  have  before  remarked,  regarding 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  351 

it  as  incompatible  alike  with  the  grace  and  effect 
of  eloquence  of  the  highest  order,  and  was  himself 
reluctantly  driven  into  the  habit  in  the  latter  part 
of  his  life  by  the  force  of  what  seemed  to  l)e 
necessity.  He  was  nearly  as  much  opposed  to  the 
practice  of  reciting  sermons  or  other  discourses 
from  memory,  as  being  mere  parrot-like  oratory, 
suited  only  to  the  calibre  of  small  minds.  Having 
selected  his  subject  he  sought  all  the  information 
necessary  to  a  full  and  proper  understanding  of  it ; 
and  having  possessed  himself  of  this,  he  next  fixed 
on  the  principal  heads  and  the  arrangement. 
These  he  wrote  down,  and  expanded  to  a  limited 
extent  —  sometimes  covering  the  space  of  a  sheet 
of  paper,  at  other  times  comprised  on  the  surface  of 
a  common  card.  With  these  brief  notes  in  his  hand, 
or  placed  where  he  could  occasionly  glance  at  them, 
he  entered  upon  the  study  of  his  subject.  This 
he  always  did  walking  or  riding,  and  his  preference 
was  for  a  wood  or  grove  to  study  in.*  I  have 
known  him  to  beat  a  path  in  a  forest,  while 
studying  a  sermon,  that  remained  unobliterated  for 
many  months  5  and  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for 


*  From  Dr   H ,  an  early  friend  of  Dr.  B.,  I  have  the 

following:  "  1 1  was  always  his  custom  to  walk  and  study.  It  would 
seem  that  his  mind  became  so  surcharged  with  thought,  that  his 
body  was  impelled  to  action.  He  generally  betook  himself  to  the 
woods  for  mental  preparation.  I  remember  an  amusing  incident 
in  this  connection.  In  1816,  he  had  gone  into  a  skirt  of  woods 
near    to    where    an   Irishman   was    laboring,    and   it    so    happened 


352  LIFE   OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

him  to  walk  his  chamber  during  half  the  night  in 
preparing  for  the  delivery  of  a  sermon  the  following 
day.  His  study  of  a  sermon  was  not  the  study 
of  fine  sentences,  but  his  object  was  to  become 
perfectly  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  his  subject  — 
to  feel  the  full  force  and  importance  of  it;  believing 
that  to  thoroughly  understand  and  feel  a  subject 
is  the  best  preparation  for  speaking  on  that  subject 
effectively — impressively.  Having  possessed  him- 
self of  the  points,  the  thoughts,  the  feelings  of  his 
subject,  he  then  laid  it  completely  aside,  until  the 
hour  for  appearing  before  the  public,  and  sought 
repose  or  recreation. 

From  this  habit  young  orators  might  learn  a 
lesson  of  instruction.  Nothing  is  more  common, 
perhaps,  with  public  speakers,  than  to  study 
intensely  their  subjects  up  to  the  moment  of 
appearing  in  public;  the  natural  effect  of  which 
is  to  weaken,  if  not  prostrate,  the  mental  energies 
and  exhaust  excitability,  before  coming  to  the 
point  where  these  must  be  called  fully  into  action, 
or  the  speaker  fail.  Bascom  understood  the  phi- 
losophy of  the  mind  and  feelings  too  well  to  expend 


that  he  discovered  Bascom  in  his  retired  promenade.  He  came 
running  to  the  house  under  excitement,  and  declared  there  was  a 
'  crazy  man  in  the  woods.'  How  do  you  know  he  is  crazy  ?  1  asked, 
'  Why  sir,'  he  replied,  '  he  is  quite  in  a  doldrum,  he  has  been  walking 
for  an  hour  between  two  trees,  and  seems  to  be  wonderfully  taken 
with  a  deep  study  ;  do  you  think  he  is  quite  right  in  his  mind  ? '  Go 
to  church  to-morrow,  said  I,  and  you  may  judge  whether  he  is  crazy," 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  353 

in  the  drill  the  strength  essential  to  success  in  the 
battle. 

Basconi's  Piety, 

Bascom  made  no  ostentatious  display  of  piety, 
and  was,  therefore,  suspected  by  some  of  being 
greatly  defective,  if  not  totally  destitute,  as 
reg;i.rds  this  essential  Christian  quality.  The 
truth  is,  that  early  in  life  he  conceived  a  strong 
aversion  to  a  morose  sour  piety,  which  he  thought 
savored  more  of  pharasaic  affectation  than  of  deep 
and  rational  devotion,  and  was  generally  the  oflF- 
spring  of  weakness,  hypocrisy,  or,  at  best,  of  habit, 
drawn  from  one  or  the  other  of  these  sources. 
Few  men  were  more  fervid  in  zeal,  or  had  a 
higher  relish  for  lively  and  sensible  religious 
enjoyment  in  devotion,  and  no  one  more  enjoyed 
or  was  more  inspirited  by  the  hearty  amen,  when 
uttered  responsively  to  the  fervent  petition  offered 
to  Heaven,  than  he,  and  no  one  entered  into 
deeper  sympathy  with  the  groans  of  the  penitent, 
the  raptures  of  the  pardoned,  and  the  rejoicings 
of  the  happy  Christian  ;*  but  groans  mechanically 


*  He  took  peculiar  pleasure  in  witnessing  the  religious  enjoyments 
of  the  sons  of  Ham,  with  whom  he  was  ever  a  great  favorite.  Many  a 
time,  at  camp  meetings,  have  I  known  him  steal  away  from  the  white 
congregation,  to  enjoy  the  religious  exercises  of  the  blacks,  and  to 
remain  listening  to  their  singing  and  their  artless  but  earnest 
prayers,  long  after  the  whites  had  gone  to  rest.  On  one  of  these 
occasions,  he  found  himself  in  a  position  rather  embarrassing  to  him, 
23 


354  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

uttered  in  devotion,  without  feeling,  and  from 
habit  or  affectation,  he  looked  upon  as  sadly  out 
of  place  in  the  solemnities  of  divine  worship. 
"  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them,"  is  the  rule 
of  judgment  prescribed  by  the  Great  Teacher ; 
and  Bascom's  piety  is  entitled  to  be  tried  by 
this  law. 

His  reverence  for  the  character  and  name  of 
God  was  profound  and  pervading;  the  Sacred 
Name  he  never  used  in  conversation,  as  many 
Christians  do,  and  an  expression  even  bordering 
on  irreverence  never  passed  his  lips.  His  rever- 
ence for  the  word  and  ordinances  of  God  was  only 
less  than  that  entertained  for  God  himself  Of  that 
word  and  its  plenary  inspiration,  and  of  those  holy 
ordinances,  he  was  a  zealous  and  able  defender; 


but  one  which  afforded  some  amusement  to  his  brethren.     It  was  at 

B camp   meeting :  He  had  retired  to  bed,  but  the  exciting 

labors  of  the  day,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  rich  tide  of  devotional 
melody  which  still  swelled  up  from  the  African  quarter  of  the 
encampment,  and  rung  through  the  midnight  forest,  on  the  other, 
indisposed  him  to  sleep.  He  arose,  and  under  cover  of  the  darkness, 
approached  conveniently  near  to  the  sable  singers.  They  were  sing- 
ing one  of  those  catches  in  which  the  leader  sings  a  short  sentence 
—  usually  composed  impromptu  —  alone,  and  then  the  whole  con- 
gregation would  join  in  a  thundering  chorus.  The  leader  went  on 
recounting  the  blessings  and  enjoyments  of  the  meeting,  and,  at 
length,  under  the  inspiration  of  a  new  thought,  he  broke  out  — 
"I've  seen  Bascom;  he's  de  Master's  champion,"  and  the  choral 
response,  "  Glory,  hallelujah,  etc.,"  burst  out  with  fresh  fervor.  The 
The  leader  resumed :  "  I've  heard  Bascom  ;  he's  de  Boanerges,"  and 
again  came  the  thundering  response,  fa'rly  driving  Bascom  from  hia 
•urking  place  to  his  tent. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  355 

and  few  have  dealt  such  effectual  death  blows 
upon  infidelity  and  pseudo-infidelity.*  It  was 
his  daily  habit,  as  we  have  seen,  to  read  the  holy 
scriptures ;  and  he  was  equally  punctual  in  his 
attendance  on  the  ordinances  of  the  sanctuary.  I 
never  knew  him  to  neglect  an  opportunity  of 
hearing  the  word  or  of  commemorating  the  sacri- 
fice of  Christ;  and  the  latter,  especially,  I  never 
knew  him  to  enjoy  without  deep  and  solemn  feel- 
ing. And  when  such  opportunity  did  not  offer  in 
his  own  church,  he  attended  the  ministrations  of 
other  churches,  and  communed  with  Christians  of 
other  names. 

Of  his  deep  devotion  to  the  cause  of  his  Master, 
and  the  work  of  the  ministry,  he  gave  the  strongest 
evidence  possible.     While  in   this  work,  he  was 

*  Dr.  H ,  mentioned  before,  has  furnished  me  an  incident  in 

point,  which,  though  received  late  and  out  of  its  order,  is  yet  worth 
a  place.  "In  the  summer  of  1816,  at  a  camp  meeting,  he  was 
requested  to  preach  a  sermon  on  infidelity.  It  became  noised  abroad, 
and  an  immense  multitude  attended  to  hear  him.  There  was  present 
a  noted  infidel,  who  vaunted  largely  of  the  triumph  of  his  principles,  on 
the  supposed  failure,of  the  youth  to  defend  Christianity.  He,  at  first, 
took  a  seat  at  a  distance  from  the  stand,  assuming  an  air  of  great  JiaU' 
teur  and  arrogance.  He  listened  attentively  for  half  an  hour,  and  then, 
with  seeming  unconsciousness,  took  a  position  near  the  speaker.  For 
some  minutes  he  sat  motionless  as  a  statue,  with  a  play  of  unquiet  and 
conflicting  emotions  on  his  countenance.  He  felt,  if  he  felt  at  all, 
that  he  was  in  the  midst  of  a  conflagration,  that  must  consume  the 
'ast  vestige  of  his  hopes.  He  could  hold  out  no  longer  against  the 
power  of  truth,  falling,  as  it  did,  upon  his  smitten  conscience,  and 
before  the  sermon  was  concluded,  he  was  heard  to  exclaim,  '  I  give  it 
op  '     From  that  hour,  he  became  penitent,  and  reformed  his  life." 


356  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

enduring  the  sufferings  of  poverty,  toil  ond  perse- 
cution, yet  the  high  road  to  wealth,  fame,  and 
comparative  ease  was  opened  to  him  in  secular 
pursuits,  and  that  too  with  such  reliable  guarantees 
as  excluded  contingency  in  the  question  of  success; 
yet  these  tempting  lures  he  never  considered  or 
debated  for  a  moment. 

Strong  confidence  in  the  providence  and  the 
promises  of  God,  I  take  to  be  one  of  the  best 
evidences  of  genuine  piety ;  and  such  a  confidence 
he  had  in  a  high  trusting  degree.  And  of  this 
what  has  just  been  said  above,  is  conclusive.  He 
believed  that  God  had  called  him  to  the  vocation 
of  the  ministry,  and  that  while  he  was  found 
abiding  in  the  lot  assigned  him  by  the  Head  of 
the  Church,  he  might  safely  and  confidingly  claim 
the  protection  of  God's  providence,  and  the  aid  of 
his  promises ;  but  if  he  departed  from  this  work 
he  lost,  this  high  claim,  and  there  was  no  path  of 
life,  however  bright  and  flattering,  upon  which  he 
dared  to  enter  alone  —  without  the  promised  help 
of  the  Lord. 

Illustrative  of  his  principle  of  action,  in  view  of 
God's  providence,  is  an  incident  which  I  shall 
relate.  A  special  friend  of  his  —  a  brother 
minister  —  had  suffered  the  loss  of  a  good  estate, 
and  was  reduced  to  poverty;  his  salary  was  not 
half  sufficient  to  support  and  educate  his  family, 
and  he  was  about  to   enter  on  the  practice   of 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  357 

another  profession,  with  a  most  cheering  prospect 
of  success.  He  wrote  to  Bascom,  not  so  much  to 
ask  counsel  as  to  inform  him  of  his  determination. 
Bascom  replied :  "  If  God  has  called  you  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  whenever  you  voluntarily 
abandon  his  work,  you  forfeit  his  help  and  protec- 
tion. Besides,  though  that  profession  is  honorable, 
that  of  the  ministry  is  most  honoraUe,  and  by 
abandoning  it  for  any  other  you  relatively  degrade 
your  high  vocation  ■ —  a  thing  to  which  I  trust  no 
stress  of  temporal  adversity  will  ever  drive  you. 
I  might,  perhaps  with  equal  reason  and  equal 
prospects,  pursue  a  like  course ;  but,  poor  and 
embarrassed  as  I  am,  I  am  resolved  to  have  no 
client  but  Him  who  at  the  first  employed  me  to 
plead  the  great  cause  of  human  salvation ;  and  I 
know  my  fee  will  be  certain  and  large^  His 
friend  felt  the  force  of  the  rebuke,  abandoned  his 
purpose,  and  has  ever  since  thanked  God  for  the 
timely  admonition. 

There  was  one  striking  peculiarity  in  Bascom's 
confidence  in  God;  whenever  he  got  into  deep 
tribulation,  it  was  his  habit,  after  the  manner  of 
Old  Testament  saints,  to  make  a  solemn  vow  to 
God  —  a  covenant  —  to  be  more  devoted  and 
faithful  if  God  would  grant  him  the  special  deliver- 
ance. This  vow  he  recorded  and  preserved,  that 
he  might  not  forget  it.  I  find  a  number  of  these 
vows    or   covenants,   and   can   but  regard    it    as 


358  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

remarkable,  that  in  every  one  of  which  I  have 
knowledge, "  he  was  heard  in  the  thing  he  feared." 
Once  it  was  made  for  his  own  recovery  when  at 
the  point  of  death,  and  soon  he  was  well ;  once  for 
the  recovery  of  a  dear  friend,  for  whom  there  was 
scarce  a  hope,  and  soon  the  disease  was  rebuked ; 
once  for  deliverance  when  a  storm  of  persecution 
raged  madly,  and  in  a  short  time  his  persecutors 
were  put  to  open  shame  and  publicly  confounded ; 
and  so  of  others. 

And  when  he  came  to  the  closing  scene,  his 
plea  still  was,  "  All  my  trust  and  confidence  is  in 
Almighty  Goodness,  as  revealed  in  the  cross  of  Christy 

His  fiith  was  pre-eminently  Christian;  Christ 
and  the  cross  were  never  lost  sight  of  And  as  he 
was  a  man  of  faith,  so  was  he  of  prayer.  In  this, 
too,  he  has  been  misunderstood.  Indeed,  few 
men  have  been  so  extensively  known,  and  at  the 
same  time  so  imperfectly  known.  No  one  could 
have  more  confidence  in  the  efficacy  of  fervent 
prayer  than  Bascom.  Secret  prayer  he  constantly 
attended  to.  The  writer,  when  occupying  the 
same  lodging  room  with  him  —  as  was  often  the 
case  —  has  frequently  awoke  long  after  midnight 
and  found  him  wrestling  in  secret  prayer;  especially 
when  he  had  any  great  difficulty  to  encounter,  or 
any  unusually  important  work  to  perform.  He 
regarded  secret  prayer  as  an  essential  part  of 
preparation  for  the   pulpit,  and   it  was  the  only 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  359 

preparation  he  allowed  himself  to  engage  in,  near 
the  time  of  entering  the  pulpit. 

A  lady  of  piety  and  intelligence  related  to  me, 
many  years  ago,  an  incident  which  may  be  worth 
recording  in  this  connection. — "I  had  heard  of  Mr. 
Bascom  as  an  eloquent  speaker,"  said  she,  "but 
also  as  a  clerical  fop  destitute  of  piety.  Under 
this  prejudice  I  went  to  hear  him,  and  his  first 
appearance  did  not  satisfactorily  discredit  the 
report.  While  the  congregation  were  singing  the 
hymn  preceding  the  sermon,  I  watched  him 
attentively.  His  eye  was  on  vacancy,  his  brow 
contracted  as  if  in  deep  thought,  he  evidently  saw 
nothing,  and  so  complete  appeared  to  be  hia 
abstraction  that  I  feared  he  would  not  notice  the 
ending  of  the  hymn ;  but  just  as  the  last  stanza 
was  closing,  he  slightly  raised  his  eyes  heavenward, 
and  such  a  pleading  look  of  supplication  I  never 
saw;  silent]y,  but  most  intelligently  and  implor- 
ingly it  said  —  ^Lord,  help  me,  or  I  sink,'  Every 
vestige  of  my  prejudice  was  gone,  and  instantly  I 
began  with  all  my  heart  to  beseech  God  for  help 
in  his  behalf" 

Finally,  if  reverence  for  God,  and  ardent  love  of 
his  holy  word  and  ordinances  —  if  a  benevolent 
heart  and  a  charitable  hand  —  if  strong  confidence 
in  the  providence  and  promises  of  God — if  visiting 
and  ministering  comfort  to  the  sick,  to  the  f  itherless 
and  widows  in    their   affliction  —  if  a  consuming 


o60  LIFE     OF     BISHOP     BASCOM. 

zeal,  and  a  life  of  uncommon  services  and  sacri- 
fices in  the  cause  of  God  and  humanity — if  a 
tranquil  death,  cheered  by  the  hope  of  the 
gospel,  through  the  merits  of  Christ,  be  admis- 
sible evidence,  then  was  Bascom's  claim  to  the 
character  of  a  pious  Christian  well  sustained. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


MB.    BASCOM's   connection   WITH   THE   MOVEMENT    FOB 
MODIFYING  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


We  have  seen  already  that  at  least  as  early  as 
1822*  Mr.  Bascom's  sympathies  were  with  the 
party  that  proposed  a  modification  of  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  that 
for  such  a  bias  his  mind  was  specially  prepared  by 
a  course  of  treatment  towards  himself  which  he 
regarded  as  illiberal  and  unjust.  We  must  now 
give  some  farther  account  of  his  connection  with 
this  movement.  This  is  called  for  by  that  candor 
which  should  characterize  -every  writer  of  biogra- 
phy, and  perhaps  is  no  less  due  to  the  character  of 
Mr.  Bascom  himself  But  in  doing  this  it  will  be 
necessary  to  give  a  sketch  of  that  movement  itself, 
in  general  outline. 

The  agitation  arising  out  of  the  "Presiding 
Elder  question"  in  1820  —  aided  by  the  circu- 
lation of  a  monthly  periodical  devoted  to  the 
discussion  of  the  subject — extended  itself  through 

*  Mr.  Bascom  says,  in  a  paper  dated  April,  1826,  that  he  signed  a 
memorial  to  the  General  Conference  of  1816,  asking  modifications  in 
the  government  of  the  church.  I  suppose  he  refers  to  a  petition  ou 
ihe  presiding  elder  question. 


362  LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

the  different  departments  of  the  church,  so  that  at 
the  General  Conference  of  1824,  a  considerable 
number  of  petitions  were  received,  some  from  local 
preachers,  and  some  from  the  laity,  praying  for 
modifications  in  the  government  of  the  church,  but 
\'ery  much  differing  as  to  the  nature  of  existing 
grievances  and  defects,  and  of  course  proposing  the 
applic  ition  of  different  remedies.  Those  petitions 
were  received  with  but  little  favor  by  the  con- 
ference, and  a  response  was  made  to  them  which 
many  of  the  petitioners  regarded  as  rather  ungra- 
cious. They  saw,  however,  at  once,  that  while 
their  prayers  were  not  only  different  but  even 
conflicting,  -it  would  be  unreasonable  to  expect  the 
relief,  and  indeed  impracticable  for  the  conference 
to  grant  it.  This  view  of  the  case  suggested,  very 
naturally,  the  necessity  of  unity  of  object  and 
harmony  of  action  in  order  to  success  in  their 
enterprise.  To  devise  means  for  effectuating  this 
object,  a  meeting  was  called  during  the  sitting  of 
the  General  Conference  in  Baltimore,  of  such  as 
happened  to  be  present  in  the  city,  and  friendly  to 
the  object,  to  consult  on  the  subject.  That  meeting 
was  made  up  of  traveling  and  local  preachers,  and 
laymen,  indiscriminately.  It  was  there  insisted, 
that,  in  order  to  unity,  the  "Reformers"  must  give 
themselves  an  associate  identity  by  some  form  of 
organization,  and  that  they  should  have  a  periodical 
as  a  medium  of  intelligence  and  communication. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  363 

The  then  existing  periodical — "Wesleyan  Reposi- 
tory"— was  represented  as  having  become  offensive 
by  its  caustic  severity,  and  must  be  superseded  by 
a  new  one,  which  was  to  be  placed  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  proposed  organization.  It  was  farther 
agreed  that  the  organization  should  be  styled  the 
Union  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
inasmuch  as  its  avowed  object  was  to  promote  union 
among  the  friends  of  reform^  and  to  keep  those  who 
were  inclined  to  secede — of  whom  there  were  said 
to  be  many  in  the  North — in  union  with  the  church. 
These  preliminaries  being  settled,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  prepare  a  constitution  in  accordance 
with  them — at  the  head  of  which  committee  was  a 
talented  member  of  the  General  Conference,  then 
in  session.  A  constitution  was  reported  and 
adopted,  and  by  its  provisions  the  new  periodical 
was  to  bear  the  rather  whimsical  name  of  "The 
Mutual  Rights  of  the  Ministers  and  Members  of 
the  Methodist  E.  Church,"  and  was  to  be  conducted 
by  a  publishing  committee  of  the  Union  society  — 
in  which  society  any  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  was  eligible  to  membership. 

The  new  periodical  soon  went  into  operation, 
and  for  a  while  was  conducted  with  a  reasonable 
degree  of  moderation  —  publishing  articles  from 
writers  on  both  sides  of  the  controversy.  But 
after  a  time  a  less  temperate  spirit  came  in,  and 
articles  appeared  on   both  sides  manifesting  little 


364  LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

or  nothing  of  the  gentleness  and  charity  of  the 
gospel.  Matters  grew  worse  and  worse  until  the 
spring  of  1827,  when  a  circumstance  occurred 
which  tended  to  excite  the  parties  in  a  still  higher 
degree.  At  the  annual  session  of  the  Baltimore 
conference  of  that  year  one  of  its  members  was 
charged  with  having  read  and  recommended  the 
periodical  under  notice  —  "  The  Mutual  Rights  " 
—  and  a  promise  was  required  of  him,  that  he 
would  not  do  so  in  future.  Seeming  to  regard  this 
as  an  interference  with  his  private  and  personal 
rights,  he  refused  to  submit  to  the  requirement. 
The  conference,  claiming  the  right  to  determine 
what  was  proper  and  wh.it  improper  for  its  mem- 
bers to  circulate,  resolved  to  leave  the  offender 
without  an  appointment  during  the  next  year. 
This  proceeding  excited  a  great  deal  of  feeling  on 
the  other  side;  the  Baltimore  Union  society,  and 
several  other  Union  societies,  passed  resolutions 
strongly  condemning  the  proceeding  of  the  con- 
ference, and  several  individual  writers  denounced 
the  proceeding  without  stint;  and  among  the 
latter,  Mr.  Bascom. 

When  Mr.  Bascom  went  to  Baltimore  in  1824, 
as  before  stated,  a  large  proportion  of  the  acquaint^ 
ances  he-  formed  happened  to  be  among  those 
who  were  prominent  and  active  in  the  movements 
above  detailed,  and  doubtless  his  feelings  were  not 
a  little  influenced  by  the  sympathy  which  warm 


LIFE  OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  365 

friendship  naturally  engenders.  He  had,  I  believe, 
written  a  few  articles  for  the  Mutual  Rights  before 
the  occurrence  of  the  difficulty  above  noticed,  but, 
I  think,  of  a  general  and  temperate  character,  yet 
he  had  not  identified  himself  with  the  reform 
movement  by  joining  any  Union  society,  or  by 
any  similar  act.  He  now  heard  the  report  of  the 
proceeding  of  the  Baltimore  conference,  in  the 
case  of  Dorsey  —  the  case  stated  above  —  and 
perhaps  heard  it  with  some  degree  of  coloring. 
He  did  not  know  the  man  personally,  but  he 
received  the  strong  impression  that  Dorsey  had 
been  illiberally,  oppressively  dealt  with;  he  under- 
stood that  Dorsey  was  poor,  that  he  was  in  very 
low  health,  and  had  a  young  family  dependent  on 
him.  Any  one  who  truly  knew  Bascom,  will  not 
need  to  be  told  that  such  a  representation  would 
at  once  awaken  his  deepest  sympathy  for  the 
sufferer,  and  his  indignation  against  the  alleged 
oppressors. 

In  such  a  state  of  feeling,  Bascom  wrote  a  com- 
munication for  the  Mutual  Rights  respecting  the 
affair,  which,  it  must  be  confessed,  was  in  some 
passages  exceedingly  caustic.  These  movements 
in  behalf  of  the  "  martyr  "  aroused  the  other  party 
to  still  firther  action.  A  public  meeting  of 
members  of  the  church  was  called  in  the  city  of 
Baltimore,  at  which  the  proceedings  of  the  confer- 
ence were  zealously  defended,  and   the  "sympa- 


366  LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

thizers  "  denounced  with  great  severity ;  and  the 
article  of  Mr.  Bascom,  particularly,  was  branded 
as  one  which  "  outraged  all  decency  of  language. 
and  applied  to  the  conference  the  most  abusive 
epithets  to  which  malignity  itself  could  resort." 
This,  of  course,  did  not  tend  to  soothe  Mr.  Bascom's 
feelings,  or  to  draw  him  into  closer  connection  with 
the  dominant  party. 

In  writing  his  views  of  the  case,  he  had  brought 
up  a  certain  tribunal,  long  since  abolished,  in 
illustration  of  the  matter  in  hand.  One  who  set 
up  higher  pretensions,  reviewed  his  article  with 
great  severity,  and  particularly  sneered  at  his 
ignorance  of  the  character  of  the  tribunal  to  which 
he  had  referred,  alleging  in  substance  that  he 
understood  nothing  of  its  character  and  objects. 
This  brought  Bascom  out  with  such  an  array  of 
authentic  evidence,  proving  his  entire  correctness; 
as  effectually  silenced  his  assailant.  But  this 
victory  was,  in  a  sense,  a  defeat :  it  made  for  him 
a  powerful  enemy. 

Matters  at  last  grew  to  such  a  pitch,  that  in 
August  of  this  year,  (1827,)  official  proceedings 
were  instituted  in  Baltimore  against  a  number  of 
local  ministers  and  members,  with  a  view  to  bring 
them  to  abandon  the  Union  society  and  the 
Mutual  Rights,  or  to  exclude  them  from  the 
church.  A  very  large  proportion  of  the  arrests 
were  among  Bascom's  most  special  friends  in  the 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  367 

city.  This  tended  still  more  to  strengthen  his 
sympathetic  union  with  them. 

In  November,  1827,  a  general  convention  of  the 
friends  of  Reform  met  in  the  city  of  Baltimore, 
and  adopted  a  memorial  to  be  presented  to  the 
ensuing  General  Conference  —  which  was  to  meet 
in  May,  1828  —  praying  for  certain  modifications 
in  the  government  of  the  church. 

Soon  after  this  a  large  meeting  was  held  in  the 
same  city,  which  adopted  a  sort  of  protest  or  bill 
of  exceptions  to  the  proceedings  had  in  the  case 
of  the  arrested  members  and  preachers,  on  the 
ground  of  their  supposed  inconsistency  with  the 
spirit  or  letter  of  the  discipline  of  the  church. 

Immediately  after  this,  followed  the  excommu- 
nication of  the  members,  and  soon  after,  the 
ministers  who  had  been  put  on  their  trial  for  their 
connection  with  the  Union  society  and  the  Mutual 
Rights.  This  was  immediately  succeeded  by  the 
withdrawal  of  a  large  number  of  the  relatives  and 
friends  of  the  expelled  persons,  and  their  temporary 
organization  into  a  society,  based  on  Mr.  Wesley's 
General  Rules,  to  await  the  decisions  and  results 
of  the  coming  General  Conference. 

It  was  earnestly  hoped,  that  the  General  Con- 
ference might  be  able  to  open  the  way  for  the 
restoration  of  the  expelled  ministers  and  members, 
and  for  healing  the  wound  which  had  become  so 
deep  and  wide.     Many,  on  both  sides  of  the  con 


368  LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM. 

troversy,  were  very  anxious  for  this ;  they  were 
weary  of  strife,  and  longed  for  peace.  Mr.  Bascom 
was  a  member  of  that  General  Conference,  and 
employed  his  best  efforts  to  bring  about  that 
result.  To  this  end,  he  drew  up  the  following 
paper,  and  presented  it  to  the  chairman  of  the 
committee  having  charge  of  that  class  of  business : 

''Pittsburg  May  19,  1828 
"  Dear  Brother  :  —  The  brethren  who  have  been  expelled  the 
church  in  Baltimore,  will,  and  do  hereby  concede,  that  publications 
may  have  appeared  in  the  Mutual  Rights,  the  nature  and  character  of 
which  were  inflammatory,  and  so  far  do  not  admit  of  vindication  ; 
that  individuals  and  facts,  for  want  of  proper  information,  may  have 
been  unintentionally  misrepresented.  They  regret  these  things,  in 
every  existing  case.  They  agree,  that  the  Mutual  Rights  shall  be  dis- 
continued at  the  filling  up  of  the  present  volume,  in  doing  which 
they  will  avoid  just  cause  of  offence  to  any  brethren.  That  Union 
societies  shall,  by  their  advice  and  influence,  be  abolished,  and  no 
more  formed. 

"  These  concessions  are  made  through  us,  in  behalf  of  reformers 
generally,  to  aid  the  work  of  conciliation,  as  conditions  for  the 
restoration  of  the  expelled  brethren  in  Baltimore  and  elsewhere,  to 
the  church,  on  terms  respectful  to  all  parties.  By  these  concessions, 
they  are  not  to  be  understood  as  relinquishing  the  freedom  of  speech 
and  of  the  press,  which  they  enjoy  in  common  with  their  brethren ; 
nor  of  peaceably  assembling  for  proper  and  justifiable  purposes. 
We  concur  in  the  above. 

A.  Shinn, 
H.  B.  Bascom, 
Nicholas  Snethen, 
Charles  Avert, 
Henry  D.  Sellers.*' 

Towards  the  close  of  the  conference,  a  preamble 
was  adopted,  setting  forth  the  existing  difficulties 
and  facts  in  the  case,  as  the  grounds  of  their 
action,  followed   by  two  resolutions,  the   first  of 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  36t 

which,  in  view  of  an  adjustment  of  the  difficulties, 
recommends,  that  no  farther  proceedings  should 
be  had  against  the  reformers,  and  the  second  pro- 
vides, that  if  any  of  the  expelled  persons  would 
make  the  concessions  expressed  in  the  foregoing 
paper  —  though  the  existence  of  that  document 
is  not  recognized  —  they  might  be  restored  to  the 
church;  provided,  that  the  quarterly  conference 
and  the  preacher  in  charge  of  the  circuit  or  station 
should  consent  to  such  restoration ;  and  provided, 
also,  that  the  preacher  in  charge  should  be  undei 
no  obligation  to  restore  a  member  to  any  official 
station  he  may  have  held  previously,  and  provided^ 
that  no  other  periodical  devoted  to  the  controvers}* 
should  be  established,  but  allowing  individuals  to 
publish  what  they  chose  on  their  own  responsibilty 

These  provisos,  and  especially  the  first,  were 
unacceptable  to  the  expelled  members,  inasmuch 
as  it  put  it  into  the  power,  as  they  alleged,  of 
those  who  had  expelled  them  to  prevent  theii 
restoration ;  or,  if  they  choose,  to  restore  some 
and  reject  others,  and  so  divide  and  scatter  them."* 

Here,  then,  ended  the  attempt  at  conciliation, 
and  not  long  after  the  adjournment  of  the  GeneraJ 

*  I  find,  by  a  letter  from  Mr.  Snethen,  that  he  regards  it  as  a  prin 
cipal  cause  of  the  failure  of  this  measure,  that  while  the  paper,  signeo 
by  himself  and  others  —  quoted  above  —  admits,  that  articles  unjusti- 
fiably severe,  rnai/ Aai-e  appeared  in  the  Mutual  Rights,  the  conference 
resolution  required  the  expelled  persons  to  acknowledge  that  such 
articles  aetuallv  have  appeared,  etc 
24 


370        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

Conference,  the  work  of  expulsion,  was  resumed 
at  new  points. 

In  the  autumn  of  1828,  a  general  convention 
was  held,  at  which  articles  of  association  were 
adopted  for  the  proposed  new  ecclesiastical  organi- 
zation, —  which  took  the  name  of  the  "  Associated 
Methodist  Churches."  With  this  convention  and 
these  organizing  measures,  Mr.  Bascom  had  no 
connection,  but  went  on  regularly  in  the  perform- 
ance of  the  duties  assigned  him  as  a  traveling 
preacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  True, 
he  sympathized  with  his  friends,  and  felt  rather 
sore  himself,  from  denunciations  aimed  against 
him  by  the  dominant  party,  and  especially  from  a 
contemptuous  philippic  inflicted  on  him  on  the 
floor  of  the  General  Conference — or  at  least,  what 
he  regarded  in  that  light 

In  the  autumn  of  1830,  the  newly  organized 
Associated  Methodist  churches,  sent  up  delegates 
to  another  general  convention,  the  object  of  which 
was  to  frame  a  regular  constitution  for  the  new 
connection,  —  which  was  thenceforth  styled  the 
Methodist  Protestant  Church.  With  this  last 
convention,  the  name  of  Mr.  Bascom  has  been,  in 
an  indirect  manner,  associated,  as  being  the  author 
of  a  "  Declaration  of  Rights  "  which  was  published 
with  the  proceedings  of  the  convention,  though  not 
adopted  by  that  body. 

The  facts  in  this  case  are  as  follow:   a  short 


LIFE    OF  BISHOP    BASCOM.  371 

time  before  the  meeting  of  the  convention,  a 
prominent  member  of  the  new  organization,  and  a 
special  friend  of  Mr.  Bascom,  wrote  to  him  suggest- 
ing  that  the  convention  would  probably  adopt  a 
declaration  of  rights,  and  requesting  him  to  prepare 
and  forward  such  an  instrument  to  be  laid  before 
the  convention.  Bascom  consented  to  undertake 
the  work ;  and  to  be  the  more  fully  prepared  for 
it,  he  visited  Cincinnati,  procured  the  "Federalist" 
and  some  other  books,  and,  that  he  might  be 
entirely  secluded,  he  retired  to  a  country  inn,  a 
few  miles  back  of  the  city,  and  there  shut  himself 
up  until  his  work  was  completed.  This  done,  the 
paper  was  forwarded  to  his  friend,  and  by  him  laid 
before  the  convention.  The  name  of  the  author 
was  not  announced  in  the  convention,  but  generally 
it  was  attributed  to  the  true  source.  It  arrived  at 
a  late  period  of  the  convention,  and  this  served  as 
a  pretext  for  not  receiving  it;  but  the  better 
reason  was  no  doubt  correctly  stated  by  those  who 
alleged  that  the  convention  was  not  quite  so 
dependent  as  to  be  obliged  to  receive  important 
aid  from  one,  who  was  not  even  identified  with 
the  new  organization,  and  who,  probably,  never 
would  become  so.  The  Declaration  was,  therefore, 
rejected  by  the  convention,  but  the  book  agent, 
regarding  it  as  a  valuable  document,  added  it  at 
the  end  of  the  new  discipline,  and  it  was  published 
in  various  other  forms. 


372  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

Ill  November,  1830,  the  new  church  commenced 
the  publication  of  a  periodical  in  the  west,  and,  at 
the  solicitation  of  its  conductors,  Mr.  Bascom 
became  a  contributor,  and  wrote  seven  numbers 
on  the  rights  and  duties  of  the  Christian  ministry. 
These  numbers  dealt  almost  exclusively  in  general 
principles,  and  referred  in  no  direct  way,  to  the 
existing  controversy.  In  March,  1831,  appeared 
the  last  of  these  numbers,  and  the  last  of  Mr. 
Biscom's  writings,  respecting  the  questions  in- 
volved in  the  controversy.  He  wrote  anonymously, 
but  being  suspected  of  writing  the  "Letters  of 
Paul  on  the  Ministry,"  he  was  complained  of 
before  the  conference  of  which  he  was  a  member. 
He  confessed  the  writing  of  the  "letters,"  but 
pleaded  that  he  only  laid  down  historical  facts  and 
general  principles,  and  nothing  directly  against  the 
Methodist  E.  Church.  And  here  the  matter  ended, 
—  at  least,  this  is  my  recollection  of  the  affair.* 

It  is  not  the  business  of  the  biographer,  as  J 

*  A  communication  on  this  subject,  written  by  him  for  the  Pitts- 
burgh conference  of  1831,  says  —  "I  owe  it  to  myself  and  to  you,  to 
say,  that  a  course  of  conduct  has  been  ascribed  to  me,  and  complained 
of  as  inconsistent  with  the  relation  I  sustain  to  you,  and  the  obliga- 
tions I  owe  you.  I  have  to  say,  that  the  part  I  have  acted,  does  not 
sustain  the  truth  of  the  complaint,  and  that  no  act  of  mine  can  be 
construed,  as  I  believe,  into  a  violation  of  the  obligations  I  owe  to 
you  and  the  church.  I  certainly  intended  no  such  violation,  but  on 
the  other  hand,  was  disposed  to  avoid  every  thing  of  the  kind,  and  I 
am  compelled  to  think,  that  under  all  the  circumstances,  the  alleged 
offence  exists  but  in  seeming,  and  not  in  fact.  And  as  the  acts 
alluded  to,  were  intended  to  benefit  one  j:^rtion  of  society,  without 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP    BASCOM.  373 

conceive,  to  defend  or  condemn  the  opinions  of 
him  whose  life  he  writes,  yet  it  may  not  be 
improper  to  state  what  is  certainly  known  of  Mr. 
Bascom's  opinions  and  the  ground  of  them,  as  also 
the  reasons  which  governed  him  in  his  particular 
course  of  action. 

Whatever  opinions  Mr.  Bascom  entertained  at 
variance  with  the  polity  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  I  am  satisfied,  may  be  traced  to  two  posi- 
tions which  he  assumed  as  correct,  and  perhaps 
fundamental.  These  were,  (1),  that  order  in  the 
ministry  necessarily  implies  a  divine  institute ;  and, 

injuring  any  other,  1  cannot  think  that  my  conduct  merits  chastise- 
ment, farther  than  an  expression  of  opinion  opposed  to  my  views,  by 
those  from  whom  I  may  happen  to  dissent  upon  questions  unsettled 
by  the  decisions  of  revelation.  As  motive  and  character  were  not 
assailed  by  me,  I  cannot  consent  that  mine  in  return  should  be 
assailed,  m  the  instance  alluded  to,  without  the  remonstrance  of 
candor  and  conviction,  which  become  the  right  of  every  man  under 
suitable  circumstances.  No  alienation  of  the  parties  concerned,  was 
contemplated  at  the  time,  nor  in  prospect,  and  I  sincerely  hope,  that 
none  will  be  urged. 

'•  I  suggested  an  interview  last  evening  with  Bishop  Hedding,  and 
twelve  or  thirteen  members  of  this  conference,  the  object  of  which 
was  to  discuss  amicably  my  relations  to  this  conference,  and  thus 
prepare  the  way  for  my  dismissal  from  this,  and  removal  to  another, 
with  those  views  and  feelings  which  always  become  us  as  brethren 
and  ministers.  On  this  subject,  therefore,  I  refer  you  to  Bishop 
Hedding,  and  brethren  Young,  Fleming,  Elliott,  Monroe,  Lambden, 
Skarp,  Moore,  Mack.  Limerick,  Waterman,  Cook,  and  Brunson. 
Such  reference,  under  all  the  circumstances  involved,  I  trust,  will  be 
satisfactory,  I  have  only  to  add,  may  mutual  forgiveness  obliterate 
mutual  in'ury,  and  may  the  mantle  of  charity  cover  reciprocal 
wrongs,  —  if  such  have  existed.  I  leave  you  in  peace,  and  it  is  the 
first  and  last  wish  of  my  heart,  that  the  God  of  peace  may  be  with 
as  all » 


374  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

(2).  that  the  church  is  ji  voluntary  association  pre 
cisely  as  a  civil  government  is. 

In  his  fourth  letter  on  the  ministry  he  assumes, 
that  in  the  ministry  as  instituted  by  Christ  Jesus, 
there  was  '^  perfect  equality  of  rank  "  —  that  the 
office  of  deacon  was  "  purely  secular  "  —  that 
"  bishops  and  presbyters  were  identically  the  same 
in  office  and  function,^''  and  hence  infers  that  all 
imparity  in  the  ministry  is  created  in  contravention 
of  the  arrangements  settled  in  the  church  by  its 
Head.  Had  he  adopted  the  opinion  that  Christ 
did  not  settle  orders  in  the  ministry  at  all,  but 
simply  the  ministry,  broadly  leaving  the  distribu- 
tion of  its  powers  into  orders  to  the  church's 
discretion,  his  premises  had  conducted  him  to  no 
such  conclusion  as  he  reached.  With  his  views, 
however,  believing  that  episcopacy  as  a  distinct 
order  was  not  instituted  by  Christ,  he  of  course 
regarded  it  as  spurious  and  unwarrantable.  But 
he  became  convinced  that,  in  this  view  of  the 
subject,  he  was  in  error.  In  a  letter  addressed  to 
the  writer,  March  1850,  Mr.  Bascom  says  :  — "The 
attempt,  some  twenty  years  since,  to  make  it  appear 
that  our  episcopacy  was  valid,  because  derived  from 
anterior  forms  of  episcopal  jurisdiction,  proved  so 
revolting  to  my  understanding  and  reason,  that  I 
doubted  for  some  time  seriously,  whether  I  could 
honestly  remain  a  party  to  an  assumption  so  ridi 
culous,  and,  as  I  believed,  mischievous  in  tendencv 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM.  375 

But  SO  soon  as  I  became  satisfied  that  ours  is  a 
legitimate  preshyterial  episcopacy^  instituted  and 
created  as  a  separate,  distinct  order,  by  conventional 
consent,  and  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the 
presbytery,  and  that  in  order  to  its  validity  it  was 
not  necessary  to  invoke  the  miserable  humbug  of 
regular  episcopal  succession,  as  independent  of  the 
rights  and  powers  of  the  body  of  presbyters,  I  was 
content  to  await  the  results  of  time  and  inquiry, 
and  each  succeeding  year  has  but  tended  to  con- 
firm me  in  the  correct nes  of  my  views."  He 
adds  :  —  "  We  assume  that  in  the  matter  of  mere 
organic  form,  as  it  regards  government,  the  scrip- 
tures have  left  the  church  to  its  own  judgment, 
and  that  according  to  the  scriptures,  ecclesiastical 
history,  and  the  practice  of  the  best  churches  of 
antiquity  and  of  modern  times,  it  is  competent  for 
a  church  to  originate  an  organic  law,  like  that  giving 
birth  to  Methodist  episcopacy,  without  any  depar- 
ture from  the  New  Testament  or  ecclesiastical 
usage."  Here  we  perceive  what  views  of  the 
subject  Mr.  Bascom  entertained  at  the  time  of  the 
controversy  —  into  which  views  he  says  in  the 
letter  quoted  above  —  he  was  lead  by  ''unsafe 
guides,"  meaning  our  writers  on  episcopacy,  and 
which  views  came  near  causing  him  to  leave  the 
communion  of  the  church,  regarding  the  theory  of 
our  writers,  and  the  organization  of  the  church  a5» 
incompatible  with  each  other. 


376        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

The  other  point  of  difficulty,  not  to  say  error, 
with  Mr.  Bascom  was,  overlooking  the  fact,  that 
in  instituting  a  church  on  earth,  Christ  com- 
mitted the  whole  duty  of  preaching  the  gospel,  of 
administering  the  sacraments,  and,  therefore,  of 
receiving  members  into  the  church,  to  the  hands 
of  the  ministry;  that  the  gospel  ministry  was 
hefore  church  organization,  and  has  ever  gone 
forward  in  advance  of  it,  from  the  beginning  until 
now.  Failing  to  recognize  any  original  and  vested 
rights  in  the  ministry  by  the  Divine  commission, 
Mr.  Bascom  very  naturally  regarded  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  church  as  being  absolutely  subject  to  the 
control  of  the  will  of  the  populace,  precisely  as 
people  organizing  a  civil  government  adopt  just 
such  laws  and  forms  as  they  may  prefer,  there  being 
no  one  divinely  commissioned  to  act  in  the  premises 
in  any  manner  different  from  every  other  member 
of  the  entire  community. 

In  accordance  with  this  view  of  the  subject,  he 
says,  in  the  9th  article  of  his  Declaration  of  Rights, 
"Ministers  and  private  Christians,  according  to  the 
New  Testament,  are  entitled  to  equal  rights  and 
frivilegesy  If  it  be  the  right  and  privilege  of 
ministers  to  preach  the  gospel,  to  administer  the 
sacraments,  to  receive  converts  into  the  church 
by  the  initiatory  ordinance  of  baptism,  and  to 
form  them  into  religious  organizations;  if  these 
rights    and    privileges   were    committed    to    the 


LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASOOM.  377 

ministry,  specifically,  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  were 
not  committed  to  the  membership  at  large,  then 
there  must  be  some  mistake  in  the  broad  and 
unqualified  declaration,  that  "  ministers  and  pri- 
vate members  are,  by  the  New  Testament,  placed 
on  a  ground  of  strict  equality;"  and  so  thought 
Mr.  Bascom  before  he  died. 

His  famous  Declaration  of  Rights  was  written 
in  full  view  of  these  two  positions ;  and  yet  it  is 
much  more  generalizing  and  abstract  in  its  aver- 
ments than  might  have  been  expected  from  such 
premises.  Indeed  the  title  of  the  instrument 
itself  is  quite  general  and  vague — "Declaration  of 
Rights,  explanatory  of  the  reasons  and  principles 
of  government;'^''  but  what  sort  of  government 
even  is  not  specified.  Much  of  it  applies  properly 
only  to  civil  governments,  some  portion  is  aimed 
against  such  ecclesiastical  usurpations  and  abuses  as 
are  scarcely  to  be  looked  for  this  side  of  Rome,  and 
some  of  its  positions  are  most  sound  and  excellent, 
whether  applied  to  civil  or  ecclesiastical  government. 

A  question  has  often  been  put,  and  especially 
by  the  Reformers,  as  they  were  called  :  "  If  Mr. 
Bascom  was  in  general  sentiment  and  sympathy 
with  that  party,  why  did  he  not  secede  from  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  unite  with  the 
new  organization  ?  ''  I  am  not  bound  to  know  all 
his  reasons,  but  some  light  may  possibly  be  cast 
on  the  subject.     He  had  never  been  connected 


578  LIFE   CF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

with  any  Union  Society,  nor  with  any  of  the  con- 
ventions, and  seems  to  have  thought  it  expedient 
to  await  the  result  of  the  organizing  measures  of 
the  new  church,  and  not  identify  himself  with  it 
unless  he  believed  it,  on  the  whole,  better  calcu- 
lated to  do  good  and  advance  the  cause  of  vital 
religion  than  the  old  church.  He  felt  free  to  act 
as  a  pacificator,  as  at  the  General  Conference  of 
1828;  but  never  having  acted  as  a  leader  in  the 
original  movement,  he  did  not  feel  bound  to  take 
any  part  in  the  organizing  measures.  The  con- 
vention of  1828  adopted  only  a  temporary  bond 
of  union,  under  which  societies  might  form  if  they 
chose,  but  from  this  platform*  nothing  could  be 
certainly  known  of  what  the  church  would  be  when 

*  Respecting  those  articles  of  confederation,  a  leading  layman  of 

B ,  writes  to  Bascom  in  the  year  after  its  adoption,  "  Very 

few,  except  some  local  preachers,  approve  of  them" —  (the  articles 
of  association.)  A  distinguished  minister,  who  had  identified  him- 
self with  the  party,  in  feeling  and  action,  writes  "  that  he  cannot 
unite  under  such  a  bond  of  union."  Another  minister,  who  had  been 
active  in  Union  Societies,  conventions,  etc..  says  to  him :  "  Situated  as 
I  am,  I  have  felt  bound  to  unite  with  the  persecuted  party ;  but  yonf 
different  relation  may  not  impress  a  like  conviction  of  duty  on  your 
mmd."  As  late  as  1833,  a  gentleman,  among  the  most  prominent  in 
that  church,  inquires  of  Bascom  about  his  church  relations,  and  says, 
that  whatever  he  might  see  proper  to  do  in  the  future,  there  had,  up  to 
that  date,  been  no  time  when  it  would  have  been  proper  for  him  tc 
withdraw  from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  And  yet,  before 
the  writing  of  this  letter,  by  one  who  understands  the  subject  much 
better  than  the  multitude,  Bascom  had  been  repeatedly  denounced, 
publicly  and  privately,  as  a  changeling,  a  coward,  because  he  had 
not  done  what  a  leader  of  the  organization  said  it  would  have  been 
improper  for  him  to  do. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  879 

finally  and  fully  organized.  Finally,  when  the 
convention  of  1830  formed  a  constitution  and 
discipline  as  a  regular  church,  there  were  leading 
features  in  that  organization,  of  which  he  could 
not  approve.  Particularly  this,  that  while  it 
raised  strong  walls  —  on  paper — to  guard  li*- 
itinerancy,  he  believed  that  it  had  incorporated 
into  it  those  elements  which  must  necessarily 
render  its  itinerancy  inefficient,  and  probably  short- 
lived; because,  as  he  said,  while  itinerancy  was 
legally  guarded,  itinerants  were  without  adequate 
securities  and  encouragement  —the  working  men 
in  the  itinerancy  being  put  under  the  control  of 
those  who  had  no  part  in  their  peculiar  toils  and 
trials. 

I  know  it  has  been. said  that  these  objections 
were  but  a  ruse  to  cover  his  retreat,  but  this  is 
judging  harshly,  for  some  of  those  most  prominent 
in  the  movement,  from  the  beginning  were  far 
from  being  satisfied  with  some  leading  principles 
on  which  the  new  church  was  organized,  though 
their  relation  to  it  was  such  that  they  did  not  feel 
at  liberty  to  retreat,  but  rather  to  hold  on  and  try 
to  remedy  the  evils  they  could  not  prevent.  And 
that  I  may  not  be  regarded  as  drawing  a  fancy 
sketch,  I  have  a  letter  before  me  from  which  I 
will  make  a  few  extracts.  That  letter  is  from 
one  who  was  more  prominent  in  the  reform  move- 
ment, from  the  very  beginning,  than  any  other 


380  LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM. 

man  —  one  who  united  with  the  new  church,  and 
never  withdrew  from  it.  It  was  written  after  the 
adoption  of  the  constitution,  and  before  the  meeting 
of  the  first  General  Conference,  held  under  it.* 
He  says : 

"All  my  bonds  of  duty  to  this  Protestant 
Church,  are,  of  course,  dissolved.  I  am  dead  to  it, 
and  I  die  with  a  clear  conscience.  The  cause,  I 
fear,,  will  go  down.  On  the  east  side  of  the 
mountain  I  saw  nothing  but  gloom  and  discourage- 
ment; and  I  see  little  in  the  west,  notwithstanding 
our  increase,  to  minister  much  relief  to  my  fears. 
In  the  coming  General  Conference,  what  can  we 
do?  Are  not  our  hands  tied?"  After  a  few 
remarks  respecting  the  General  Conference,  he 
adds :  "  I  think  I  foresee,  that  if  it  be  not  agreed 
on  to  call  a  new  convention,  the  first  General 
Conference  will  be  the  last.  You  can  have  no 
idea  what  a  rope  of  sand  we  be  unless  you  see  our 
strength  tried.  Under  the  touch  of  contention 
we  fall  to  pieces.  All  fear  of  self-destruction  is 
lost  in  our  zeal  against  the  common  enemy.     The 

*  Remarks  of  aa  illiberal  and  censorious  character  having  been 
made  and  published  against  Bishop  Bascom,  since  his  death,  with 
much  more  freedom  than  before  that  lamented  event,  his  biographer 
has  felt  called  on  by  a  sense  of  duty  to  vindicate  his  memory  against 
charges  of  insincerity  and  selfishness,  as  silence  under  such  circum- 
stances would  be  liable  and  likely  to  be  construed  into  acquiesceace: 
and  he  has  therefore  selected  the  accompanying  testimony  from  a 
large  amount  of  like  character  in  his  possession —  wishing  only,  aa 
the  representative  of  the  dead,  to  act  defensively. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  381 

philosophy  of  government  has  no  place  among  us.'* 
If  one  of  the  fathers  and  founders  of  the  new 
church  could  write  thus  about  it  presently  after 
the  adoption  of  its  constitution,  is  it  unreasonable 
to  suppose  that  that  constitution  may  have  im- 
pressed Mr.  Bascom's  mind  alike  unfavorably,  and 
of  course  prevented  him  from  entering  a  union 
which  its  earliest  friend  styles  a  "  rope  of  sand."* 
Under  a  conviction,  that  the  new  organization 
was  less  safe  and  stable  than  the  old,  Mr.  Bascom 
resolved  to  abide  where  he  was.  And  a  calmer 
survey  of  the  whole  ground  convinced  his  mind, 
that  he  had  been  in  error  respecting  the  two 
capital  propositions  noticed  above,  and  that  there 


*  In  1 839,  a  rumor  having  crossed  the  mountains,  to  the  effect  that 
the  late  Rev.  Mr.  S. .  .  .,  contemplated  a  re-union  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  the  writer,  at  the  instance  of  Rev.  J.  R.  W.,  and 
others  in  B.,  had  a  conversation  on  the  subject  with  Mr.  S.,  at  his 
own  house  in  Alleghany  city,  in  July  of  that  year.  Uis  reply  was 
in  his  own  peculiar  style  of  candor  and  clearness :  "  You  are  well 
aware,"  said  he.  •'  that  I  do  not  regard  our  government  as  perfect,  nor 
what  I  wished  and  hoped  it  would  be,  and  there  are,  it  appears  to  me, 
influences  —  if  not  principles  —  at  work,  calculated  to  prevent  the 
perfecting  of  it ;  yet,  there  was  a  principle  involved  in  my  uniting 
with  the  new  church,  which  I  deem  it  important  to  maintain,  and 
while  I  believe  that  this  principle  can  be  better  sustained  in  my 
present  relation  than  by  a  change,  I  expect  to  remain.  That  prin- 
ciple is  not  directly  republican  freedom  in  church  government,  but 
individual  freedom  of  speech  and  action  respecting  matters  of  church 
government.  Had  the  latter  not  been  invaded,  I  could  not  have 
felt  justified  in  forsaking  the  communion  of  the  church  to  secure  the 
former."  Such  were  the  sentiments,  and  very  nearly  the  exact  words 
of  bis  reply  ;  and  he  expressed  himself  very  explicitly  to  others  on 
the  same  subject,  and  to  the  same  effect. 


382  LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

was  really  less  error  and  imperfection  in  the 
primary  elements  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
government,  than  in  the  interpretation  and  appli- 
cation of  those  principles. 

Mr.  Bascom  had  a  right  to  sympathize  with  the 
"  reformers,"  and  to  co-operate  with  them  to  the 
extent  of  his  convictions  of  duty  and  propriety; 
he  did  so,  and,  of  course,  incurred  the  censure  of 
the  dominant  party.  When  a  secession  took  place, 
it  was  his  unquestionable  right  to  judge  and  decide 
jvhether  the  old  or  the  new  organization  was  better, 
and  whether  it  was  his  duty,  under  all  existing 
circumstances,  to  unite  with  the  latter  or  abide 
with  the  former ;  and  after  mature  reflection,  and 
calculating  the  relative  probabilities  of  stability 
and  usefulness,  as  between  the  two  churches,  and 
his  own  prospect  of  doing  good,  he  decided 
against  a  change  of  his  church  relation.  This 
he  did  in  the  most  quiet  and  least  offensive 
manner  possible :  he  announced  no  purpose,  at 
any  time,  to  secede,  and  he  proclaimed  no  inten- 
tion to  remain  where  he  was,  but  simply  stood 
still.  He  bestowed  his  labors  under  the  direction 
of  the  old  church,  but  heartily  rejoiced  in  the  suc- 
cess of  the  new,  in  winning  souls  to  Christ ;  and 
his  personal  friendships  were  bestowed  indiscrimi- 
nately among  the  members  of  both.  It  was  his 
right,  on  conviction  of  error  or  mistake,  to  change 
his  opinions  too  hastily  adopted;  and  this  he  did. 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  383 

but  so  prudently  and  inoffensively  to  the  feelings 
of  others,  that,  except  to  one  confidential  friend, 
I  believe  he  avowed  no  change  of  opinion,  pub- 
licly or  privately,  for  near  twenty  years  after 
the  secession. 

His  continuance  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  disappointed  some  of  his  friends  on  the 
other  side ;  not  that  he  had  promised  to  secede, 
but  that  they  expected  it,  and  hence  censure  was 
cast  on  him,  on  account  of  his  course.  Yet 
during  his  lifetime,  this  was  hardly  so  abundant 
or  so  bitter  as  he  expected ;  and  to  whatever  of 
it  there  was,  he  made  no  reply,  no  complaint.  It 
is  believed  that  he  was  never  heard  to  utter 
a  word  unfriendly  to  the  Methodist  Protestant 
Church,  nor  to  do  an  act  that  could  prejudice  her 
interests  or  reputation ;  so,  if  it  could  be  said  that 
he  was  reviled,  it  can  be  said,  he  reviled  not  again. 

The  freedoms  taken  with  his  name  and  confiden- 
tial correspondence,  since  his  death,  has  brought 
out  nothing  to  his  discredit,  and  will  detract  as 
little  from  his  fair  fame,  as  it  will  add  to  that 
of  the  actors  in  the  affair. 

In  this  matter,  all  that  can  be  said  of  Dr. 
Bascom,  is,  that  in  a  period  of  thirty  years,  he 
changed  some  of  his  opinions  respecting  things 
non-essential ;  and  he  who  has  read  and  thought 
for  thirty  years,  without  changing  any  of  his 
opinions,  has  had  none  of  his  own  to   change. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MR.    BASCOM's  connection  WITH    THE  CONTROVERSY  ON 
SLAVERY. 

In  1812,  as  we  have  seen,  Bishop  Asbury  con- 
vinced Mr.  Bascom,  that  slavery  was  to  be  treated 
as  a  civil  institution,  and  with  due  regard  to  the 
laws  of  the  states  where  it  existed,  and  that  con- 
flict with  the  civil  authorities  was  to  be  avoided 
in  church  action  on  the  subject;  and  in  accord- 
ance with  this  teaching,  we  find  him,  in  1819, 
earnestly  opposing  the  majority  of  the  Tessessee 
conference,  when  that  body  refused  ordination  or 
admission  into  the  itinerancy  to  preachers  who 
were  the  owners  of  slaves,  in  States  which  did  not 
permit  their  emancipation,  and  we  have  seen-  his 
name  on  the  protest  entered  up  against  those 
proceedings.  The  General  Conference  of  1820 
repealed  the  rule  allowing  annual  conferences  "  to 
make  their  own  regulations  relative  to  buying  and 
selling  slaves;"  and  this,  it  is  understood,  was 
brought  about  by  the  counter  action  of  the  mino« 
rity  of  the  Tennessee  conference,  with  which 
Bascom  was  concerned. 

From   this  time  forward  to  1836,  the  subject 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  385 

attracted  little  attention,  and  elicited  no  General 
Conference  action  worth  recording ;  but  in  the 
General  Conference  of  this  year,  modern  aboli- 
tionism commenced  that  unhealthy  agitation  on 
the  subject  of  slavery,  which  has  ever  since  been 
fermenting  up  the  most  unhappy  results.  Several 
northern  delegates  publicly  lectured  in  favor  of 
abolitionism  during  the  session  of  the  conference, 
and  produced  much  excitement.  This  proceeding 
induced  the  conference  to  take  up  the  subject; 
and  after  a  full  and  elaborate  discussion,  adopted 
a  preamble  and  resolutions  expressive  of  its  sense 
on  this  point.  The  first  resolution  condemned 
the  conduct  of  the  delegates  who  had  lectured  in 
advocacy  of  abolitionism.  The  second  declares 
the  conference  to  be  "  decidedly  opposed  to 
modern  abolitionism,  and  wholly  disclaims  any 
right,  wish,  or  intention  to  interfere  in  the  civil 
and  political  relation  between  master  and  slave,  as 
it  exists  in  the  slaveholding  States  in  this  Union." 
The  pastoral  address  of  the  conference  treated  the 
subject,  according  to  these  views,  at  considerable 
length.  The  action  of  the  conference  was  taken 
by  the  decisive  vote  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
in  favor  to  fourteen  against  it ;  yet  the  agitation 
went  OU;  and  particularly  in  New  England. 

To  the  General  Conference  of  1840,  there  were 
sent  up  a  large  number  of  petitions  and  memorials 
on  the  subject  of  slavery,  which  were  referred  to  & 

25 


386        LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

committee,  consisting  of  one  member  for  CMch 
annual  conference.  Of  this  committee.  Dr.  Bangs 
was  chairman,  and  Dr.  Bascom  was  a  member. 
They  appear  not  to  have  made  any  general  report, 
and  the  partial  one  they  did  make,  seems  to  have 
I'eceived  no  final  action.  This  was  probably  owing 
to  the  fact,  that  the  subject  came  up,  and  was 
elaborated,  reported,  and  acted  on  in  the  cases  of 
the  colored  testimony  resolutions,  and  in  the 
Westmoreland  case.  In  the  first,  a  preacher  had 
received  the  testimony  of  a  colored  person,  against 
a  white  member  under  trial,  in  a  state  where  such 
testimony  could  not  be  admitted  by  the  civil 
tribunals;  and  for  this,  his  conference  decided  that 
he  was  guilty  of  maladministration.  From  this 
decision  he  took  an  appeal  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence, and  that  body  refused  to  sustain  the  annual 
conference  in  its  decision.  Subsequently,  the  late 
Dr.  Few,  introduced  the  following  resolution : 
'^Resolved,  that  it  is  inexpedient  and  unjustifiable 
for  any  preacher  among  us  to  permit  colored 
persons  to  give  testimony  against  white  persons, 
in  any  state  where  they  are  denied  that  privilege 
in  trials  at  law."  This  resolution,  after  being 
freely  discussed,  was  adopted  by  a  large  majority; 
but,  a  few  days  afterward,  another  debate  sprang 
up,  on  motion  to  reconsider  the  vote  adopting  this 
resolution.  Finally,  Bishop  Soule  submitted  a 
series  of  resolutions  on  the  subject  which  secured 


LIFE  OF    BISHOP    BASCOM.  387 

che  support  of  a-  very  large  majority  of  the 
conference. 

The  Westmoreland  case  was  this; — a  number 
of  local  preachers  memorialized  the  General  Con- 
ference, setting  forth  that  they  resided  in  a  part 
of  the  state  of  Virginia  that  was  under  the  juris- 
diction of  the  Baltimore  conference, — that  they 
were  the  owners  of  slaves,  and  that  the  laws  of  the 
state  in  which  they  lived,  would  not  permit  them 
to  manumit  their  slaves,  and  that  on  this  account 
alone,  the  Baltimore  conference  had  refused  them 
ordination.  This,  they  regarded  as  a  violation  of 
the  law  of  the  discipline,  which  did  not  intend  to 
inflict  penalties  or  impose  disabilities  on  account 
of  their  not  doing  an  act  forbidden  by  the  law  of 
the  state.  The  case  was  referred  to  a  select 
committee,  of  which  Dr.  Bascom  was  chairman."^ 

Near  the  close  of  the  conference.  Dr.  Bascom 
read  a  full  argumentative  report,  concurring  entirely 
in  the  views  of  the  case  taken  by  the  petitioners, 
and  concluding  with  the  following  explicit  resolution: 

"Resolved,  by  the  delegates  of  the  annual  con- 
ferences, in  General  Conference  assembled.  That 
under   the    provisional   exception  of  the  general 

*  It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  the  chairman  of  this  committee,  was 
requested  by  at  least  some  of  the  bishops,  if  not  all,  so  to  frame  his 
report  as  to  cover  fully  the  principle  involved,  and  to  serve  as  a  rule 
of  action  thereafter.  The  report  and  resolution  were  written  with 
this  view,  and  it  is  confidently  believed,  that  the  conference  had  the 
same  object  in  view  in  adopting  the  document. 


388  LIFE   OF    BISHOP   BASCOM. 

rule  of  the  church,  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  the 
simple  holding  of  slaves,  or  mere  ownership  of 
slave  property,  in  states  or  territories  where  the 
laws  do  not  admit  of  emancipation,  and  permit  the 
liberated  slave  to  enjoy  freedom,  constitutes  no 
legal  barrier  to  the  election  or  ordination  of  minis- 
ters to  the  various  grades  of  office,  known  in  the 
ministry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
cannot,  therefore,  be  considered  as  operating  any 
forfeiture  of  right  in  view  of  such  election  and 
ordination." 

This  action  appeared  to  settle  an  important 
rule  for  the  construction  of  law,  and  its  practical 
application  in  the  administration;  but  so  thought 
not  the  Baltimore  conference,  for  the  correction  of 
whose  administration  it  was  specially  designed;  for 
though  their  delegates  made  no  objection  to  its 
pussage,  they  refused  utterly  to  be  governed  by 
it — as  we  shall  see  presently. 

Rev.  Dr.  G.  Peck  says,  that  he  was  opposed  to 
the  report  and  resolution  at  the  time,  [we  have 
heard  of  no  other  negative  votes,]  and  adds — ^^I 
thought  it  an  artful  document,  which  required 
time  for  examination  and  analysis.  I  saw  that  the 
resolution  especially,  was  so  worded,  that  it  might 
be  pressed  into  the  service  of  a  slave  holding 
episcopacy."     Slavery  and  Episcopacy,  p.  33. 

Without  pausing  to  enquire,  why  the  General 
Conference  so  readily  adopted  a  report,  in  which 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  389 

the  sagacity  of  at  least  one  member  detected 
artfulness  and  danger,  we  will  take  the  testimony 
on  the  same  subject  of  the  venerable  Dr.  Bangs, 
the  historian  of  the  church.  In  his  history  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  vol.  iv,  p.  404,  he  says,  —  "A 
very  able  report  was  adopted  near  the  conclusion 
of  the  conference,  on  the  subject  of  ordaining 
ministers  in  slave-holding  states  who  own  slaves, 
and  will  not  liberate  them  from  their  bondage. 
This  arose  out  of  the  practice  of  the  Baltimore 
conference,  in  refusing  to  ordain  some  local 
preachers,  who  lived  in  the  state  of  Virginia,  where 
they  pleaded  that  the  laws  would  not  permit 
emancipation.  As  this  subject  had  never  before 
been  so  fully  investigated,  and  as  the  report,  drawn 
up  by  Dr.  Bascom,  very  clearly  unfolds  the  princi- 
ciples  by  which  the  church  has  ever  been  governed 
upon  this  grave  and  important  question,  I  think 
the  reader  will  be  pleased  to  have  the  entire 
report  before  him."  He  then  copied  the  whole 
report  into  his  history. 

It  was,  at  any  rate,  the  legal  act  of  the  highest 
judicatory  of  the  church,  and  one  would  suppose, 
entitled  to  be  respected  as  such;  and  it  is,  there- 
fore, not  very  material,  whether  we  regarded  Dr. 
Bangs, — acting  as  the  calm,  impartial  historian,  or 
Dr.  Peck  —  acting  as  a  partizan  advocate  —  as 
the  more  reliable  authority,  respecting  <-Jie  ref*.^ 
character  of  that  action. 


590  LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

From  this  time  until  the  General  Conference  of 
L844,  the  excitement  on  this  vexed  question, 
seemed  to  be  much  quieted  down,  and  particularly 
Bo,  after  a  few  leading  abolitiowists  at  the  north 
had  seceded  from  the  church,  so  much  so,  that 
through  the  south  and  south-west,  it  was  confi- 
dently expected  that  the  General  Conference  of 
1844  would  have  no  annoyance,  or  none  of  a 
serious  character,  from  that  quarter.  But  this 
portentous  quiet  was  but  the  calm  which  precedes 
the  fearful  earthquake ;  for  after  the  conference 
became  organized,  on  the  very  first  call  of  the 
chair  for  petitions  and  memorials,  between  seventy- 
five  and  one  hundred  were  presented  on  the  subject 
of  slavery,  and  the  whole  aspect  of  affairs  showed 
conclusively,  that  the  north  had  prepared  for 
determined  and  vigorous  action. 

But  now  an  unanticipated  circumstance  changed 
the  scene  of  action  and  the  mode  of  warfare.  A 
member  of  the  Baltimore  conference,  Mr.  Harding, 
had  married  a  lady,  who  was  the  owner  of  several 
slaves,  and  as  the  laws  of  Maryland  did  not  permit 
him  to  emancipate  them  in  that  state,  he  felt 
himself  protected  entirely  by  the  church  law,  as 
defined  and  applied  by  the  action  of  the  General 
Conference  of  1840,  already  noticed.  But  the 
Baltimore  conference  required  Mr.  Harding  to 
emancipate  the  slaves,  regardless  ^f  the  laws  of 
the  state,  and  the  action  of  the  preceding  General 


LIFE    OF    BISHOP   BASCOM,  391 

Conference.  Neither  party  would  yield,  and  the 
result  was,  that  Mr.  Harding  was  suspended  from 
the  exercise  of  his  ministerial  functions,  by  the 
conference.  From  this  decision  he  took  up  his 
appeal  to  the  General  Conference.  Aboiitiondom 
rejoiced  in  this,  as  greatly  aiding  the  "good  cause." 
The  Baltimore  conference  had  constantly  acted 
with  the  south  in  opposition  to  the  ultraism  of  the 
north,  but  the  abolitionists  now  at  once  saw  that 
by  setting  aside  the  church  law  as  interpreted  by 
the  General  Conference  of  1840,  the  Baltimore 
conference,  their  old  adversary — adopted  their 
own  principles  substantially,  and  became  the  leader 
in  an  attack  on  the  south.  The  front  was  changed. 
Baltimore  took  the  lead,  and  New  England  only 
followed.  The  result,  of  course,  was,  that  the 
decision  of  the  Baltimore  conference,  was  sustained 
triumphantly  — 117  to  66.  The  abolitionists 
could  not  but  regard  this  as  a  great  victory.  To 
be  sure,  they  had  quarrelled  with  the  discipline  as 
giving  general  protection  to  slavery;  but  if  the 
conservatives  could  devise  a  way  by  which  they 
could  make  the  discipline  mean  all  luithout  change, 
that  they  sought  hy  a  change,  the  road  to  this 
goal  was  made  so  much  the  more  short  and  easy. 
And  if  the  conservatives  would  but  ieclare  it 
sinful  in  a  minister  to  obey  the  laws  of  his  state, 
where  slavery  was  concerned,  common  sense  would 
point  to  the  conclusion,  that  what  was  sinful  in  a 


392       LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

minister,  could  not  be  entirely  innocent  in  a  private 
memher. 

This  victory  very  naturally  emboldened  the 
abolitionists  to  undertake  a  more  important  one  ; 
and  accordingly  Bishop  Andrew  was  selected  as 
the  victim.  He  had  inherited  a  slave,  one  had 
been  bequeathed  to  him  —  both  without  his  con- 
currence —  and  he  had  married  a  lady  who  was 
the  owner  of  several  slaves ;  and  according  to  the 
laws  of  the  state  in  which  he  lived,  if  he  attempted 
to  emancipate  those  vslaves,  they  would  be  taken 
up  and  sold  into  perpetual  bondage,  and  he  would 
be  subjected  to  a  large  amercement  or  fine  in  each 
case.  But,  no  matter,  he  was  legally  a  slave- 
holder, and  this  could  not  be  tolerated.  After  a 
most  protracted  discussion,  he  was  virtually  sus- 
pended from  the  exercise  of  his  office  as  a  bishop 
of  the  church. 

However  abolitionists  and  others  might  rejoice 
in  this  success,  the  delegates  from  the  southern 
conferences  could  not  fail  to  perceive,  that  if  they 
silently  submitted  to  this  action,  the  days  of 
Methodism  were  numbered  in  the  south,  and 
Methodist  preachers  would  be  completely  cut  off 
from  the  confidence  of  masters,  and  from  access 
to  the  slaves. 

It  was  a  critical  conjuncture ;  the  abolitionists 
declared  that  the  north  would  secede  rather 
than  submit  to  a  slaveholding  bishop ;  the  south 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.        393 

believed  that  acquiescent  submission  to  the  degra- 
dation of  a  bishop  for  such  a  cause  and  under  such 
circumstances  would  be  their  ruin.  The  middle 
men,  or  conservatives,  as  they  loved  to  call  them- 
selves, held  the  balance  of  power.  They  had 
acted  conservatively  with  the  south  in  1836  and 
1840;  but,  unfortunately,  they  had  themselves 
originated  the  present  difl&culty,  and  they  were  thus 
thrown  into  necessary  alliance  with  the  abolitionists. 
The  south  was  driven  to  the  wall,  and  had  nothing 
left  but  to  protest  and  declare  against  the  pro- 
ceeding. Accordingly,  the  southern  delegates, 
who  had,  throughout  the  discussion,  assured  the 
conference  that,  if  the  proposed  action  were  taken 
against  Bishop  Andrew,  separation  would  become 
inevitable,  now  presented  a  declaration  to  the 
effect,  that  the  action  of  the  conference,  and, 
particularly,  that  in  virtually  suspending  Bishop 
Andrew  from  his  office,  "  must  produce  a  state  of 
things  in  the  south,  which  renders  a  continuance 
of  the  jurisdiction  of  this  General  Conference  over 
those  conferences,  inconsistent  with  the  success  of 
the  ministry'  in  the  slaveholding  states."  They 
also  gave  notice  of  an  intention  to  enter  their 
formal  and  solemn  protest  against  the  doings  of 
the  conference ;  but  as  such  a  protest  must  be  a 
strong  argumentative  document,  and  not  a  simple 
expression  of  dissent,  Dr.  Bascom  was  selected 
as  the  most  proper  person  to  prepare  the  protest 


394  LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

Dr.  Bascom  was  one  of  the  last,  and  I  think 
the  very  last  man  of  the  southern  delegates  to 
come  into  those  measures,  which,  he  felt  assured, 
would  issue  in  a  division ;  but  when  fully  con- 
\nnced  that  these  measures  were  essential  to  the 
well-being  of  the  south,  as  he  was  not  a  man  to 
do  things  by  the  halves,  he  entered  with  resolute- 
ness and  zeal  upon  what  he  regarded  as  the 
discharge  of  unpleasant  but  solemn  duty.  He, 
therefore,  promptly  signed  the  declaration  referred 
to  above,  which  elicited  the  plan  of  separation ; 
and  in  preparing  the  protest,  he  entered  elabo- 
rately and  argumentatively  into  the  bearings  and 
consequences  of  the  position  taken  by  the  General 
Conference.  He  attempted  to  show  how  the  south 
must  be  affected  by  that  action,  and  to  point  out 
the  particulars  wherein  the  majority  had  adopted 
theories  and  maxims  of  government  to  meet  the 
occasion,  which  were  at  variance  with  the  principles 
of  justice  and  the  settled  usages  of  American 
Methodism.  It  is  certainly  a  powerful  document ; 
and  that  the  General  Conference  regarded  it  in 
this  light,  is  evident  from  the  fact,  that  that  body 
felt  it  necessary  so  far  to  depart  from  the  usage 
of  deliberative  assemblies,  as  to  appoint  a  com- 
mittee of  its  most  able  members  to  prepare  a 
reply  to  the  protest.  From  these  two  documents 
—  if  they  may  be  regarded  as  expressing  the 
sense  of  the  respective  parties  —  it  appears,  that 


LIFE  OF  BISHOP  BASCOM.        395 

the  emergency  had  either  originated  or  developed 
two  very  opposite  theories  of  government,  and 
especially  of  episcopacy,  as  being  held  by  the  two 
parties. 

In  the  following  autumn,  (1844,)  Dr.  Bascom 
read  to  his  own  annual  conference,  a  long  and 
elaborate  expose  of  the  whole  affair,  intended, 
especially,  as  a  rejoinder  to  the  reply  of  the 
General  Conference  Committee.  The  views  em- 
bodied in  this  document,  he  afterwards  amplified 
into  a  book  of  considerable  size,  which  was  pub- 
lished the  year  following,  under  the  title  of 
"  Methodism  and  Slavery :  with  other  matters  in 
controversy  between  the  north  and  the  south ; 
being  a  review  of  the  manifest  of  the  majority, 
in  reply  to  the  protest  of  the  minority  of  the  late 
General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  the  case  of  Bishop  Andrew." 

Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  peculiar  doc- 
trines contained  in  this  book,  candor  demands  the 
acknowledgment,  that  it  contains  an  amount  of 
information  on  the  subject  of  which  it  treats, 
much  greater  than  is  to  be  found  in  any  other 
volume  of  equal  size.  The  research  displayed  in 
it  is  indeed  astonishing.  That  it  is  deficient  in 
arrangement,  order,  classification,  and  runs  on 
more  in  the  manner  of  a  continuous  speech  — 
which  it  originally  was  —  than  a  well-arranged 
book,  is  not  to  be  denied,  yet  no  man  but  Bascom 


396       LIFE  OP  BISHOP  BASCOM. 

could  have  collected  and  thrown  together  the 
matter  even  as  it  is,  and  especially  under  a  con- 
stant pressure  of  other  labors  and  duties.  This 
work  elicited  uninvited  commendation  of  a  high 
order  from  some  of  the  mightiest  minds  of  the 
age;  such  men,  for  example,  as  the  late  John  C. 
Calhoun,  Henry  Clay,  and  others,  the  first  of 
whom  pronounced  it  superior  to  anything  that 
had  appeared  on  the  subject. 

This  book  called  out  an  answer  from  a  member 
of  the  committee,  which  framed  the  reply  to  the  pro- 
test, under  the  title  of  "  Slavery  and  Episcopacy," 
etc.  It  contained  a  good  deal  of  special  pleading 
and  small  criticism,  with  many  things  which,  in 
the  earlier  history  of  the  church,  would  have  been 
thought  rather  strange  in  a  Methodist  production. 

In  May,  1845,  a  General  Convention  of  Dele- 
gates, from  the  southern  annual  conferences, 
assembled  in  the  city  of  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
to  consider  and  determine  on  the  necessity  and 
expediency  of  forming  a  Southern  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  under  the  provisional  plan  of 
separation.  There  was  but  one  great  item  of 
business  to  be  transacted,  and,  of  course,  one 
general  committee ;  the  chairmanship  of  this  com- 
mittee — the  committee  on  southern  organization 
- —  was  the  post  of  difficulty  and  distinction,  and 
this  post  was  promptly  assigned  to  Dr.  Bascom. 

This  committee  consisted  of  thirty  members, 


LIFE    OF   BISHOP   BASCOM.  397 

including  a  large  proportion  of  the  talent  of  the 
convention ;  but  after  a  few  meetings  and  a  free 
interchange  of  views,  the  whole  business  of  pre- 
paring the  report,  was  left  to  the  chairman.  The 
convention  met  on  the  first  day  of  May,  and  on 
the  15th,  Dr.  Bascom  read  his  report  to  the  con- 
vention, in  the  presence  of  a  large  concourse  of 
spectators ;  and  it  was  received  with  great  cordiality, 
and  indeed  enthusiasm,  and  adopted  by  the  unani- 
mous votes  of  the  convention,  with  the  exception 
of  only  two  members. 

The  ability  and  importance  of  this  document 
would  entitle  it  to  a  place  in  this  work ;  but  to 
guard  against  undue  enlargement  we  are  compelled 
to  exclude  this  with  some  other  documents  which 
we  would  like  to  insert.  But  as  these  have  all 
been  published  and  are  accessible  to  such  as  wish  to 
read  them  j  their  exclusion  is,  on  that  account,  the 
less  to  be  regretted. 

In  1848,  Dr.  Bascom,  with  the  other  Commis- 
sioners of  the  South,  attended  the  session  of  the 
Northern  General  Conference ;  but  not  finding 
themselves  able  to  accomplish  anything  desirable 
in  the  way  of  adjusting  the  difl&culties  between 
the  two  connections,  they  retired,  and  agreed  to 
lay  the  matter  before  the  public  in  the  form  of  a 
"Brief  Appeal  to  Public  Opinion,  in  a  series  of 
exceptions  to  the  course  and  action  of  the  Meth- 
odist   Episcopal    Church,   from   1844    to    1848, 


398  LIFE   OF   BISHOP   BASCOM. 

afifecting  the  Rights  and  Interests  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South."  This  Appeal  wbb 
written  by  Dr.  Bascom,  but,  of  course,  also  signed 
by  his  colleagues,  Drs.  Green  and  Parsons.  That 
it  manifests  ability  of  a  high  order,  is  not  to  be 
questioned;  yet  are  there  in  it  expressions  of 
severity,  which,  doubtless,  he  would  willingly  have 
erased  when  he  come  to  die.  Indeed,  on  his 
dying  bed  he  said :  ^^  I  have  acted  throughout 
this  whole  controversy  under  an  imperative  sense 
of  duty,  and,  bating  the  use  of  a  few  terms,  have 
nothing  to  regret,  nothing  to  retract." 

Firmly  believing  his  cause  just,  and  that  he  was 
advocating  the  right,  it  was  natural  with  him  to 
be  led  by  his  zeal  into  the  use  of  exceptionably 
strong  language,  which,  upon  reflection,  he  would 
be  disposed  to  revoke.  But  had  he  lived  to 
finish  that  work  of  adjustment,  no  man  would  have 
more  heartily  rejoiced,  or  more  deeply  sympathized, 
in  the  noble  spirit  of  reciprocal  magnanimity  which 
has,  since  the  first  part  of  his  biography  went  to 
press,  brought  about  an  amicable  adjustment  of 
the  chief  difficulty  between  the  two  great  branches 
of  the  American  Methodist  family,  and  which 
caused  him  so  much  labor  and  care.  That  it  might 
be  the  harbinger  of  a  better  feeling  and  a  closer 
union  between  the  kindred  parties  would  have 
been  his  fervent  wish  and  prayer,  as  it  is  of  every 
true  hearted  Methodist  and  Christian. 


APPENDIX 


BASCOM    AS   A    PROFESSOR. 

As  it  regards  the  manner  in  which  he  discharged 
the  duties  of  his  professorship,  we  may  call  in 
the  following  testimony  of  one  of  his  students, 
—  now  a  distinguished  professional  gentleman  of 
the  south : 

If  Dr.  Bascorn  succeeded  well  as  President  of  Transylvania 
University,  he  succeeded  still  better  in  his  chair  as  Professor.  We 
shall  devote  this  paper  to  a  portraiture  of  him  in  this  capacity.  He 
took  charge  only  of  the  senior  class.  He  taught  Mental  and  Moral 
Science,  and  Political  Economy,  and  lectured  daily  on  Natural 
Theology,  Evidences  of  Christianity,  and  Constitutional  and  Inter- 
national Law. 

His  instructions  were  unique,  full  of  interest,  and  exceedingly 
attractive.  He  would  not  be  satisfied  with  a  superficial  acquaintance 
with  any  subject  preseaited,  on  the  part  of  a  student.  He  sought  to 
cultivate  views  the  widest,  the  most  searching,  and  the  most 
comprehensive. 

I  can  hardly  imagine  the  students  of  the  Portico  to  have  hung 
with  more  pleasure  on  the  lips  of  Plato,  than  we  often  did  upon  the 
words  of  this  magnificent  man.  I  have  known  students  the  most 
indolent,  of  the  most  superficial  and  desultory  habits  of  study,  to 
have  their  attention  awakened,  and  held  without  weariness  through- 
out the  recitation  :  and  they  have  gone  away  with  more  satisfactory 
knowledge,  and  that  more  powerfully  interwoven  with  the  web  of 
mind,  than  if  they  had  devoted  days  to  the  closest  study  of  the  besi 
text-books.  He  seemed  to  give  them  intense  glimpses  of  their  own 
minds,  and  reveal  to  them  capabilities  in  themselves,  of  which  they 
never  dreamed  before.  Thus,  he  led  them  to  cultivate  proper  habits 
of  thought  and  study  far  more  successfully,  than  by  the  impositio« 


400  APPENDIX. 

of  difficult   tasks,  and   the  infliction  of  punishment  for  their  non 
performance. 

And,  is  not  this  failure  to  explain  and  illustrate  a  subject,  so  as  to 
make  it  interesting  and  attractive  to  the  student,  that  which  peoples 
duncedom  with  so  many  learned  fools  ?  It  is  difficult  to  become 
proficient  in  any  study,  unless  it  is  pursued  con  amove.  Abuse, 
railings,  black-mark,  and  floggings,  never  made  a  good  scholar. 
Teach  the  student  to  love  his  book,  because  he  understands  and 
appreciates  its  principles  and  beauties,  and  then  the  fear  will  be,  not 
that  he  will  study  too  little,  but  too  much. 

For  text-books,  the  doctor  had  little  use,  farther  than  to  suggest 
subjects  for  thought  and  remark,  and  afford  a  plan  rather  than 
3ubject-matter  in  its  detail  for  private  study.  In  the  course  of  one 
recitation,  he  would  give  you  the  outlines  of  a  far  better  text-book, 
than  any  within  your  acquaintance.  In  explaining  and  enlarging 
upon  the  study  before  you,  he  talks  in  an  apparently  loose  and 
rambling  manner,  but  every  word  tells.  His  sentences  are  brief  and 
fp-rse.  They  shoot  like  tongues  of  flame  into  the  subject,  and  its 
deepest  mysteries  are  bared  to  your  gaze.  There  is  no  transcenden- 
talism about  him  ;  not  the  smallest  bit  of  moonshine.  All  is  clear 
daylight,  without  fog,  and  unclouded. 

The  most  abstruse  principles  and  definitions  lose  their  mystery 
and  abstractness,  and  almost  seem  common-place,  from  the  ease  with 
which  they  are  understood.  It  is  as  though  one  stood  on  Mount 
Blanc  at  sunrise.  Below,  mountain  and  valley  are  lost  in  the  fogs 
of  the  Hsorning ;  but,  as  the  clouds  retreat  before  the  sunbeams, 
mountain  after  mountain  reveals  its  summit ;  the  craggy  steeps  are 
seen :  the  valley,  with  its  cataracts,  and  streams,  and  villages,  lies 
defined  in  minute  outline,  until  the  whole  lovely  panorama  of 
mountains  and  torrents,  and  towns,  rivers,  and  groves,  and  vineyards, 
and  forests,  all  glowing  in  the  morning  sunshine,  spreads  out  a 
boundless  vision  of  magnificence  and  splendor. 

I  think,  I  see  him  now.  (On  account  of  some  affection  of  the 
head,  he  usually  wore  his  hat  during  his  recitation.)  His  head  is 
moving  irregularly,  his  eyes  flashing  with  thought,  his  whole  body 
sympathizing  with  the  movements  of  his  mind.  Those  who  have 
witnessed  his  pulpit  efforts,  have  been  impressed  as  by  a  man  of 
gigantic  powers ;  but  those  who  have  not  known  him  in  the  recita- 
tion-room, are  not  prepared  adequately  to  appreciate  the  man.  In 
the  pulpit  he  appears  in  all  the  awful  energy  of  a  great  soul 
thoroughly  aroused ;  an  ocean  stirred  in  its  mightiest  depths  by 
fierce  winds ;  a  Vesuvius  in  eruption.     In  his  professor's  chair,  ho 


APPENDIX.  401 

appears  in  all  the  quiet  calmness  of  a  great  soul  in  repose  ;  the 
ocean  in  calm,  with  the  beautiful  heavens  mirrored  in  its  depths; 
the  volcano  without  the  eruption,  clad  with  vines  and  purple 
fruitage,  yet  lifting  itself  from  the  vale  in  all  the  serene  granieur  of 
the  Italian  mountain. 

We  should  notice  his  strange  and  interesting  criticisms  on  books 
and  authors.  They  were  full  of  wit,  discrimination,  learning  and 
power.  I  have  often  waded  through  the  pages  of  a  long  review 
article,  without  obtaining  half  so  much  insight  into  the  merits  of  a 
book  or  author,  as  were  sometimes  contained  in  a  few  of  his  weighty 
sentences.  Occasionally  he  would  show  up  the  defects  of  a  book : 
and  then,  shades  of  Jeffrey  and  Gifford!  such  merciless  handling, 
such  crushing  exposure  of  unphilosophical  statements,  improper 
definitions,  and  puerile  absurdities  !  Woe  to  the  book  over  which 
the  breath  of  his  criticism  passed  in  censure  !  It  was  like  a  western 
prairie  after  the  passag«e  over  it  of  consuming  flames.  It  was  left 
"  utterly  wasted,  and  withered  by  the  tide  of  fire  he  rolled  over  it.'» 
You  felt,  not  only  a  sense  of  the  entire  defectiveness  of  the  work,  bui 
a  kind  of  pitying  contempt  for  the  author. 

We  must  not  suppose  from  this,  that  he  was  harsh  or  unkind  to 
modest  mediocrity.  He  willingly  honored  any  one  of  however 
meagre  talents,  who  honestly  strove  to  fill  the  sphere  for  which  they 
fitted  him;  but  when  he  saw  dullness  aspire  to  leadership  —  a  man 
without  one  clear  idea  in  his  head  writing  text-books  on  the  exact 
sciences,  the  ass  in  lion's  skin — his  indignation  was  stirred;  and 
with  a  few  brief,  sharp,  emphatic  sentences,  he  scattered  his  preten- 
sions to  the  winds ;  and  if  complaint  was  made,  he  seemed  to  answer 
with  old  Dr.  South,  "  If  owls  do  not  wish  to  be  hooted  at,  let  them 
keep  on  the  inner  boughs."  What  a  magnificent  review  writer  he 
would  have  made !  His  criticisms  would  have  been  read  with 
avidity,  and  have  given  him  a  distinguished,  if  not  the  first,  position 
among  American  critics.  Oh,  if  such  a  purifier  of  literature  could 
arise  now,  and  be  induced  to  enter  heartily  upon  his  work,  what  a 
change  would  come  over  the  spirit  of  many  an  inflated  author's 
dream  How  many,  who  are  now  ranked  among  the  literati,  would 
be  sunk  to  their  proper  level !  How  would  pretentious  stupidity  be 
hooted  into  obscurity !  Much  that  men  now  call  literature,  would 
be  considered  little  better  than  useless  trash ;  intellectual  food  fit 
only  for  the  maw  of  a  fool.  He  would  strip  off  the  peacock  feathers, 
in  which  so  many  modern  quacks  strut  about,  and  reveal  the  true 
jackdaw  to  the  contempt  and  hisses  of  an  outraged  public.  If  the 
criticisms  of  such  tt  man  were  to  sweep  over  the  literature  of  this 
26 


402  APPENDIX. 

land,  the  shores  of  the  great  deep  of  letters,  would  be  literally 
strewn  with  stranded  books.  We  need  a  review  exercising  such  an 
influence  as  the  Edinburgh  Review  exerted  for  many  years  after  it 
was  first  established  ;  and  we  need  a  Bascom  to  edit  it.  Then  we 
might  expect  a  literature  worthy  of  our  nation  and  our  age. 

But,  to  return :  one  thing  we  especially  note,  was  the  readiness  of 
the  doctor  at  repartee.  Several  witty  members  of  ray  class  were  in 
the  habit  ot  indulging  their  wit  at  the  expense  of  the  good-humored 
professors.  When  we  began  our  recitations  with  the  doctor,  they 
expected  to  continue  their  sallies.  They  tried  it  but  once.  One 
flash  of  his  eagle-eye,  one  sharp  sarcastic  replj,  accompanied  by 
one  significant  shake  of  his  finger,  was  enough.  They  cowered 
before  him,  and  looked  as  though  it  would  have  been  unspeakable 
relief  to  have  crept  from  the  room.  His  retorts  were  perfectly 
withering.  He  left  his  enemy  literally  peeled  from  head  to  foot. 
Yet,  they  only  came  when  provoked,  and  where  only  bestowed 
where  he  thought  they  were  deserved,  and  where  no  other  instru- 
mentality would  have  accomplished  his  end  so  well.  He  always 
retorted  in  excellent  humor,  so  that,  however  cutting  the  retort,  the 
student  was  not  offended.  He  manifested  usually  a  spirit  of  great 
kindness  to  all  the  class.  He  proved  to  each  that  he  was  deeply 
interested  in  his  welfare ;  and  thus  bound  himself  to  them  by  the 
strongest  ties.  He  took  no  delight  in  searching  out  and  displaying 
the  weak  points  in  a  student;  he  sought  rather  to  discover  and 
develop  whatever  traits  were  redeeming  in  him.  That  mental 
constitution,  whose  strange  versatility  seems  to  have  fitted  him  for 
every  sphere  he  was  called  to  fill,  made  him  the  best  of  instructors 
The  impressions  received,  during  my  attendance  in  his  department, 
are  linked  indissolubly  with  my  being  ;  and,  while  thought  lives  in 
the  temple  of  th  3  soul,  will  they  remain  —  flashes  of  pure  intelligencfl 
—  fruitage  from  the  tree  of  intellect. 


APPENDIX.  403 


BASCOM   AS   AN    AUTHOR. 

We  might  fill  many  pages  of  this  work  by 
copying  eulogistic  notices  of  Bascom's  book  of 
sermons,  but  we  shall  give  place  to  but  two  —  the 
first  from  a  secular,  the  other  from  a  religious 
paper.  To  the  latter  is  appended  an  extract 
from  the  work  itself,  which  is  also  admitted : 

Dr.  Bascom's  Sermons. — It  has  long  been  the  desire  of  the 
friends  of  this  distinguished  divine,  that  his  pulpit  performances, 
which  have  been  the  theme  of  such  universal  admiration,  and  the 
subject  of  a  world-wide  fame,  should  be  secured  to  the  public  in 
some  more  permanent  and  tangible  form  than  their  mere  inscrip 
tions  upon  the  tablet  of  memory.  This  has  at  length  been  done, 
and  a  neat  volume,  containing  twelve  of  his  most  popular  discourses, 
is  now  issued  from  the  press  of  Morton  &  Griswold,  in  this  city. 

We  have  long  been  familiar  with  the  peculiar  style  of  eloquence 
of  Dr.  Bascom.  Unlilce  the  dull  and  meaningless  formalties  of 
school-taught  manner  and  gesticulation,  and  yet  exhibiting  a  most 
exquisite  finish,  both  in  word  and  action,  he  has  frequently  appeared 
to  us  as  almost  '  sui  generis"  in  the  list  of  American  orators.  His 
personal  physique  demonstrates  him  one  of  Nature's  noblest 
conceptions  of  a  man,  while  his  mind  exhibits  in  his  speech  a 
ponderousness,  not  of  manner  but  of  thought,  which  rolls  from  the 
speaker  like  an  avalanche  descending  the  mountain  gorge,  and 
sweeping  all  before  it.  If  the  future  historian,  in  recording  the 
astounding  intellectual  achievements  of  the  present  age,  shall  arrive 
at  the  scriptural  conclusion  that  '  there  were  giants  in  those  days,' 
we  opine  that  the  Doctor's  book  will  demonstrate  that  there  was  a 
Hercules    among  the  giants. 

We  have  but  hastily  glanced  through  the  work,  and  yet  we 
have  read  enough  to  convince  us,  that  the  learned  author  has  fully 
imparted,  both  himself  and  the  spirit  of  his  calling  to  the  printed 
page.      There    is   a  kind   of    Gothic   grandeur,  a   massiveness   of 


404  APPENDIX. 

intellectual  wealth  displayed  unequalled  in  any  publication  of 
the  age. 

With  all  our  admiration  of  the  talents  of  the  author,  we  cor- 
dially agree  in  the  sentiment  of  a  distinguished  doctor  of  divinity, 
with  whom  we  have  conversed  on  the  subject,  that  "  we  have  never 
known  the  man  so  well  before." 

Bascom  is  the  ecclesiastical  Macaulay  of  this  country,  and  we 
doubt  not  his  book  is  destined  to  as  wide  a  circulation  as  the  works 
of  that  eminent  historian. 

The  other  says :  — 

Other  ministers  may  please  the  fancy  and  excite  the  feelings  — 
may  instruct  the  judgment  and  impress  the  heart ;  but  in  addition 
to  all  this,  no  man  that  we  have  ever  heard,  possesses  the  power  to 
wake  and  wield  the  higher  powers  of  the  soul  —  to  captivate  and 
control  the  imagination,  like  Dr.  Bascom. 

With  this  reputation  for  pulpit  eloquence,  it  was  thought  by 
many,  and  predicted  by  some,  that  the  written  and  read  sermons  of 
Dr.  Bascom  would  fall  below  his  fame,  and  disappoint  the  public 
mind.     But  we  venture  to  predict  the  reverse  will  be  the  result. 

In  listening  to  him  from  the  pulpit,  the  mind  is  so  occupied 
with  the  impressiveness  of  his  manner,  the  loftiness  of  his  concep- 
tions, the  sublimity  of  his  style,  and  the  unremitted  splendor  of  his 
incessant  imagery,  that  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  appreciate  and 
di^^est  one  half  that  he  says  ;  so  that,  at  the  close  of  one  of  his 
sermons,  the  hearer  may  compare  himself  to  a  traveler,  who,  with 
railroad  speed,  may  have  passed,  in  a  very  short  time,  a  thousand 
magnificent  cities,  or  as  many  charming  landscapes,  without  stop- 
ping long  enough  to  learn  the  names  of  the  one,  or  define  the 
beauties  of  the  other.  In  reading  his  sermons,  the  circumstances 
will  be  materially  and  favorably  changed,  both  for  the  writer  and 
the  reader,  so  far  as  appreciation  and  benefit  are  concerned.  In 
this  performance,  the  reader  may  frequently  pause  to  survey,  and 
then  again  put  forth  his  collected  energies  to  grasp  the  mighty 
conceptions  of  the  writer ;  and  he  will  find  material  enough  on  many 
a  page,  if  not  in  many  a  paragraph  for  an  exercise  of  this  sort. 

In  regard  to  the  style  of  Dr.  Bascom,  the  reader  will  find  it  to  com- 
bine the  beauty  of  Young,  the  strength  of  Wesley,  the  ehquence  of 
Chalmers,  and  tlie  sublimity  of  Hall  —  without,  perhaps,  any  of  theii 
imperfections.  We  should  think,  that  in  forming  his  style,  the  Dr 
had  read,  if  not  studied  closely,  the  writings  of  Dr.  Chalmers 
There  is  a  considerii})le  similarity  between  these  writers  ;  especially 
in    the  beautiful    imagery  which   they  employ,  and   in  the  various 


APPENDIX.  405 

figures  of  speech  which  thev  use,  particularly  in  the  frequent 
instances  of  alliteration  which  abound  in  their  discourses.  But  we 
unhesitatingly  give  the  palm  to  Dr.  Bascom.  The  style  of  Dr 
Chalmers  is  flowing,  that  of  Dr.  Bascom  is  overwhelming.  The 
one  is  soft  and  splendid,  the  other  is  glowing  and  magnificent. 
The  style  of  Dr.  Chalmers  may  be  represented  by  a  volume  of  cloud, 
floating  beautifully  through  the  heavens,  borne  along  by  a  gentle 
breeze,  and  dissolving  itself  in  copious  showers.  That  of  Dr. 
Bascom  may  be  represented  by  the  same  cloud,  impelled  before  a 
mighty  wind,  and  frequently  changing  before  its  aspects,  emitting 
lightning  and  thunder  in  its  progress,  but  discharging  abundant 
showers  at  the  same  time,  and  finally  retiring,  ( to  use  one  of  his 
own  expressions)  "  orbed  in  the  rainbow  of  splendor"  —  an  object 
of  interest  and  magnificence  to  all.  If  there  be  any  objection  to 
Dr.  Bascom's  style,  it  consists,  perhaps,  in  the  length  of  some  of 
his  sentences ;  but  this  is  not  often  the  case ;  generally,  they  are 
short  and  comprehensive,  and  many  of  them  might  be  selected  and 
published  as  independent  aphorisms,  afibrding  foundation  and  food 
for  the  refiections  of  many  an  hour. 

But  we  have  said  enough  of  the  character  of  these  sermons 
and  their  distinguished  author;  and  now,  we  ask  Leave  to  present 
one  or  two  specimens,  that  our  readers  may  see  and  judge  fbi 
themselves.  The  following  is  the  closing  paragraph  of  the  sermon 
on  "The  Institution  and  Functions  of  the  Pulpir,."  —  Speaking  of 
the  final  and  full  success  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and  the  cause 
he  pleads,  he  remarks  :  — 

''He  who  hangs  the  universe  on  his  arm,  and  feeds  its  vast 
family  at  his  table,  can,  and  will,  protect  and  supply  them.  He 
who  opposes  them  is  like  the  silly  Thracian,  shooting  his  harmless 
arrow  at  a  thunderbolt ;  for  they  are  the  heralds  of  a  holier,  a 
sublimer  message  than  ever  charmed  the  ear  of  earth  before,  and 
the  idols  and  ceremonies  of  every  other  creed  or  worship  shall  bb 
consigned  to  the  custody  of  neglect,  oblivion,  and  scorn  —  the  moles 
of  their  desolate  grottoes  —  the  bats  of  their  desolate  temples! 
And  when  infidelity  lies  buried  in  the  grave  of  years,  epitaphed  in 
characters  of  execration  by  the  millions  disabused  of  its  sorceries, 
the  ministry  shall  receive  the  homage  of  ages,  and  share  the  admi- 
ration of  a  virtuous  universe  !  Ministers  of  every  creed  and  name 
—  of  every  color  and  clime  —  are  imperceptibly  wearing,  falling, 
and  dropping  into  the  ranks  and  lines  of  Christian  enterprise  and 
evangelical  reform ;  and  soon  will  they  present  an  extended  front 
of  bristling  bayonets,  the  gates  of  hell  cannot  resist !  The  pulpit 
has  survived  the  tempest  which  has  covered  the  ocean  of  time  with 
shipwrecli.  It  has  stood  like  a  column,  erect  among  ruins  —  an 
edifice  unshaken  and  undefaced  amid  the  surrounding  overthrow  of 
palaces  and  temples  —  peering  like  the  magnetic  rod,  around  which 
the  lightnings  of  heaven  play,  but  cannot  harm  — and  the  lamp  0/ 


406  APPENDIX. 

its  glory,  as  the  Pharas  of  the  world,  shall   live  and   ourn  immortid 
and  undimmed ! 

"  It  is  thus  the  ministry  under  God  shall  spoil  principalities  and 
powers,  making  a  show  of  them  openly,  as  the  spoils  of  battle  and 
the  trophies  of  conquest.  Thrones  shall  crumble  and  dynasties 
fall,  and  altars  and  temples  shall  rise  to  repair  the  desolation  and 
perpetuate  the  change  !  Headed  by  the  great  Captain  of  their  salva 
tion,  they  shall  victoriously  push  the  conquests  of  the  cross  from 
Zembla  to  Cape  Horn,  and  from  the  Equator  to  either  pole,  until 
the  religion  of  the  Bible  —  the  only  glory  of  the  pulpit  —  orbed  in 
the  rainbow  of  her  own  grandeur,  and  throned  in  celestial  light,  shall 
hold  her  culminating  point  in  the  heavens,  and  everywhere  shed  her 
redeeming  radiance  on  the  evening  of  the  world  !" 

We  have  only  room  for  one  more  brief  extract  from  the  sermon 
on  "  Heaven,"  in  which  are  contrasted  the  sorrows  of  time  with  the 
joys  of  eternity :  — 

"  Thia  is  a  state  of  pupilage  and  probation,  that  of  dignity  and 
promotion.  Here  is  conflict,  there,  victory.  This  is  the  race,  that, 
the  goal.  Here  we  suffer,  there,  we  reign.  Here  we  are  in  exile, 
there,  at  home.  .  .  How  striking  the  contrast !  .  .  .  What 
did  Moses  care  for  the  perils  of  the  wilderness,  when,  -from  the 
storm-defying  steep  of  Pisgah,  he  viewed  the  land  of  promise,  imag- 
ing forth  the  green  fields  of  Heaven's  eternal  Spring!  —  Look  at 
Elijah,  the  immortal  Tishbite.  exchanging  the  sighs  and  solitude  of 
his  juniper  shade,  for  wheels  of  fire  and  steeds  of  wind  that  bore 
him  home  to  God  !  Look  at  Paul  —  poor,  periled  and  weary  amid  the 
journeyings  and  conflicts  of  his  mission  ;  the  hand  that  once  stretched 
the  strong  eastern  tent,  or  wore  the  dungeon's  chain,  now  sweeps,  in 
boldest  strain,  the  harps  of  heaven !  What  cared  the  holy  John  for 
his  banishment  into  the  rocky  sea-girt  Patmos,  when  his  residence 
there  was  overshadowed  by  the  flight  of  angels,  and  he  looked  for- 
ward to  Heaven  as  furnishing  the  rewards  of  persecution  —  and 
what  does  he  now  care  for  the  edicls  of  Nero,  and  tlie  cruelty  of 
Rome  !  .  .  .  What  has  earth  of  rich  or  rare  —  the  gems  of  the 
Orient,  the  mines  of  Golconda,  the  rose  and  tlie  glory  of  Cashmere 
—  that  must  not  want  attraction,  and  be  poor  indeed,  when  Heaven's 
undying  freshness  mantles,  and  her  eternal  columns  rise  in  grandeur 
to  the  eye!  What  think  you  Pisidia's  martyr  —  the  murdered 
Stephen  —  cared  for  his  toils,  his  travel,  and  his  watchings  ;  or  even 
the  stoning  of  the  bigot  mob,  when  the  maij^nificent  pomp  of  opening 
Heaven,  with  the  vision  of  the  crucified,  tranced  his  wondering  senses 
Into  awe ! 

"  The  want  and  suffering  of  earth  are  exchanged  for  the  celestial  joyt 
md  service  of  the  Heaven,  whitlier  we  jrnmetf.'" 


APPENDIX.  407 

One  of  the  few  things  written  by  him  for  the 
periodical  press,  is  his  description  of  the  cataract 
of  Niagara,  which  we  think  proper  here  to  append; 

A  Clergyman's  View  of  Niagara. — In  order  to  diversify  our 
•  Glance,"  we  have  cast  an  eye  over  the  pages  of  the  Knickerbocker 
for  April,  a  bright  and  brilliant  number,  and  sparkling  with  many  a 
literary  gem.  The  two  most  prominent,  are  contributions  by  Wash 
ington  Irving,  the  celebrated  author  of  the  Sketch  Book,  and  Rev 
H.  B.  Bascom,  the  equally  celebrated  pulpit  orator  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  For  the  former,  we  may  find  a  place  hereafter, 
but  the  following  brilliant  passage  from  the  latter —  "  A  Sketch  at 
Niagara"  —  is  too  good  to  be  postponed,  even  for  a  week  : 

"  I  have  seen,  surveyed,  and  communed  with  the  whole  !  —  and 
awed  and  bewildered,  as  if  enchanted  before  the  revealraent  of  a 
mystery,  I  attempt  to  write.  You  ask  me,  in  your  last,  for  some 
detailed,  veritable  account  of  the  Falls,  and  I  should  be  glad  to 
gratify  you  ;  but  how  shall  I  essay  to  paint  a  scene,  that  so  utterly 
baffles  all  conception,  and  renders  worse  than  fruitless  every  attempt 
at  description  ?  In  five  minutes  after  my  arrival  on  the  evening  of 
the  fiftli,  I  descended  the  winding-path  from  the  '  Pavillion,'  on  the 
Canadian  side,  and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  saw  this  unequaled 
cascade  from  '  Table  Rock  ;'  the  whole  indescribable  scene,  in  bold 
outline,  bursting  on  my  view.  I  had  heard  and  read  much,  and 
imagined  more  of  what  was  before  me.  I  was  perfectly  familiar 
with  the  often-told,  the  far-traveled  story  of  what  I  saw ;  but  the 
overpowering  reality  on  which  I  was  gazing,  motionless  as  the  rock 
on  which  1  stood,  deprived  me  of  recollection,  annihilated  all  curi 
osity;  and  with  emotions  of  sublimity  till  now  unfelt,  and  all 
unearthly,  the  involuntary  exclamation  escaped  me,  '  God  of  Gran- 
deur I  w/iat  a  scene  !  ' 

"  But  the  majesty  of  the  sight,  and  the  interest  of  the  moment, 
how  depict  them  %  The  huge  amplitude  of  water,  tumbling  in  foam 
above,  and  dashing  on,  arched  and  pillared  as  it  glides,  until  it 
reaches  the  precipice  of  the  chute^  and  then,  in  one  vast  column, 
bounding  with  maddening  roar  and  rush,  into  the  depths  beneath, 
presents  a  spectacle  so  unutterabl-y  appalling,  that  language  falters ; 
words  are  no  longer  signs,  and  I  despair  giving  you  any  idea  of 
what  I  saw  and  felt.  Yet  this  is  not  all.  The  eye  and  the  mind 
necessarily  take  in  other  objects,  as  parts  of  the  grand  panorama, 
forests,  cliffs,  and  islands ;  banks,  foam,  and  spray ;  wood,  rock,  and 
precipice :  dimmed  with  the  rising  fog  and  mist,  and  obscurely 
gilded  by  the  softening  tints  of  the  rainbow.  These  all  belong  to 
the  picture  ;  and  the  effect  of  the  whole  is  immeasurably  heightened 
by  the  noise  of  the  cataract,  now  reminding  you  of  the  reverbera- 
tions of  the  heavens  in  a  tempest,  and  then  of  the  eternal  roar  Oi 
ocean,  when  angered  by  the  winds  ! 

'  The  concave  bed  of  rock,  from  which  the  water  falls,  some 
two  hundred  feet,  into  the  almost  boundless  reservoir  beneath,  is  the 


408  APPENDIX. 

?pction  of  a  circle,  which,  at  first  sight,  from  Table  Rock,  presenti 
something  like  the  geometrical  curve  of  the  rainbow;  and  the 
wonders  of  the  grand  *  crescent,'  thus  advantageously  thrown 
upon  the  eye  in  combination,  and  the  appropriate  sensations  and 
conceptions  heightened  by  the  crash  and  boom  of  the  waters,  render 
the  sight  more  surpassingly  sublime,  than  anything  I  have  ever 
tooked  upon,  or  conceived  of.  As  it  regards  my  thoughts  and  feel- 
/ngs  at  the  time,  I  can  help  you  to  no  conception  of  their  character. 
Overwhelming  astonishment  was  the  only  bond  between  thought 
and  thought;  and  wild,  and  vague,  and  boundless,  were  the  associa- 
iions  of  the  hour!  Before  me.  the  strength  and  fullness  of  the 
congregated  '  lakes  of  the  north,'  were  enthroned  and  concentrated, 
within  a  circumference  embraced  by  a  single  glance  of  the  eye ! 
Here  I  saw,  rolling  and  dashing,  at  the  rate  of  twenty-Jive  hundred 
millions  of  tons  pei'  day,  nearly  one  half  of  all  the  fresh  water  upon 
the  sui-ftice  of  the  globe !  On  the  American  side,  I  beheld  a  vast 
deluge,  nine  hundred  feet  in  breadth,  with  a  fall  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  or  ninety,  met,  fifty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  gulf,  by  a 
huge  projection  of  rock,  which  seems  to  break  the  descent  and 
continuity  of  the  flood,  only  to  increase  its  fierce  and  overwhelming 
bound.  And  turning  to  the  '  crescent,  I  saw  the  mingled  rusli  of 
foam  and  tide,  dashing  with  fearful  strife  and  desperate  emulation 
—  four  hundred  yards  of  the  sheet  rough  and  sparry,  and  the 
remaining  three  hundred  a  deep  sealike  mass  of  living  green  — 
rolling  and  heaving  like  a  sheet  of  emerald.  Even  imagination 
failed  me,  and  1  could  think  of  nothing  but  ocean  let  loose  from  his 
bed,  and  seeking  a  deeper  gulf  below  !  The  fury  of  the  water,  at 
the  termination  of  its  fall,  combined  with  the  columned  strength  of 
.he  catai'act,  and  the  deafening  thunder  of  the  flood,  are  at  once 
nconceivable  and  indescribable.  No  imagination,  however  creative, 
;an  correspond  with  the  grandeur  of  the  reality. 

'•  I  have  already  mentioned,  and  it  is  important  that  you  keep 
.t  in  view,  the  ledge  of  rock,  the  verge  of  the  cataract,  rising  like  a 
yall  of  equal  height,  and  extending  in  semicircular  form  across  the 
ivhole  bed  of  the  river,  a  distance  of  more  than  two  thousand  feet ; 
and  the  impetuous  flood,  conforming  to  this  an-angement,  in  making 
Its  plunge,  with  mountain  weight,  into  the  great  horse-shoe  basin 
beneath,  exhibits  a  spectacle  of  the  sublime,  in  geographical  scenery, 
without,  perhaps,  a  parallel  in  nature.  As  I  leaned  over  Table 
Rock,  and  cast  my  eye  downward  upon  the  billowy  turbulence  of 
the  angry  depth,  where  the  waters  were  tossing  and  whirling,  coiling 
and  springing,  with  the  energy  of  an  earthquake,  and  a  rapidity  that 
almost  mocked  my  vision,  I  found  the  scene  sufficient  to  appal  a 
•terner  spirit  than  mine  ;  and  I  was  glad  to  turn  away  and  relieve 
my  mind  by  a  sight  of  the  surrounding  scenery ;  ba3's,  islands, 
shores,  and  forests,  everywhere  receding  in  due  perspective.  The 
rainbows  of  the  'crescent'  and  American  side,  which  are  only 
visible  from  the  western  bank  of  the  Niagara,  and  in  the  afternoon, 
seem  to  diminish  somewhat  from  the  awfulness  of  the  scene,  and  to 
gi^■e  it  an  aspect  of  rich  and  mellow  grandeur,  not  unlike  the  bow 
af  promise,  throwing  its  assuring  radiance  over  the  retiring  waters 
>f  the  delude'' 


*^4;e 


> 


